Tracked Issues
Editorially curated live civic issues linked to meetings, organizations, statements, and news.
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November 2026 Elections — District Races & the City's Direction • Featured
active • Governance, Elections, and Civic Process
Last activity: Jun 4, 2026
Burlingame's November 2026 City Council elections will be only the second under its new district-based system — and at least one race is already shaping up as genuinely competitive. District 3 will feature a contested race, with both candid…
The County Mental Health Treatment Facility — NIMBY or Necessary? • Featured
active • Mental health
Last activity: Jun 4, 2026
Burlingame has become the latest battleground in San Mateo County's struggle to site a desperately needed mental health treatment facility. After facing fierce opposition from residents to a proposed treatment facility location in San Mateo…
Broadway Grade Separation — A Once-in-a-Generation Infrastructure Project • Featured
active
Last activity: Jun 4, 2026
The Broadway Avenue at-grade rail crossing is one of the most dangerous and congested in the entire state — and a massive grade separation project is now finally within reach. The at-grade crossing at Broadway has been identified as the sec…
The Broadway District Crisis — Petroleum Spill, Weekday Caltrain & a Cancelled Specific Plan • Featured
active • Downtown revitalization
Last activity: Jun 4, 2026
Burlingame's Broadway district has endured a painful year — and its recovery is far from assured. In early January 2026, a petroleum product from a third-party source leaked into PG&E electric vaults in the Broadway area, causing multi-day …
Housing — Ahead on Market-Rate, Far Behind on Affordable • Featured
active • Housing Affordability
Last activity: Jun 4, 2026
Burlingame has made meaningful progress on its RHNA obligation of 3,257 units by 2031 — but that progress masks a deep imbalance. The city has approved nearly 40% of its total RHNA units, but almost all are above-moderate income housing — i…
Housing & The Largest Upzoning in County History
active • Development & Neighborhoods
Last activity: May 24, 2026
San Mateo County is making a historic housing bet along its transit corridors. On April 21, 2026, the Board of Supervisors adopted an amended Housing Element on a 4-1 vote, creating three new high-density zoning districts near Colma BART — …
Sea Level Rise — California's Ground Zero
active • Climate, Environment, and Resilience
Last activity: May 24, 2026
San Mateo County has been formally identified as the most vulnerable county in California to sea level rise — a designation that carries enormous long-term policy and financial stakes. The county's bayfront communities, including Redwood Sh…
Youth Mental Health Crisis — Alarming Data Demands Action
active • Mental health
Last activity: May 24, 2026
San Mateo County is confronting a youth mental health emergency that elected officials described as "sobering" even during a ceremonial Mental Health Month proclamation. A representative from the Peninsula Suicide Prevention / Felton Instit…
Sheriff's Office Aftermath — Rebuilding Accountability & Trust • Featured
active • Police accountability
Last activity: May 24, 2026
San Mateo County is still working through the fallout of one of the most dramatic law enforcement governance crises in the Bay Area in recent memory. In May 2025, an independent investigation found evidence of conflicts of interest, misuse …
The VLF Funding Crisis — A $157 Million Injustice • Featured
active • Budget priorities
Last activity: May 24, 2026
San Mateo County is fighting one of the most consequential — and least publicized — fiscal injustices in California. The dispute centers on "in-lieu VLF" replacement funding that counties and cities receive tied to a vehicle license fee red…