Yorba Linda’s City Council has approved a “legislative platform” for 2026 designed as “a tool to protect and promote the city’s interests on priority issues, proposed legislation and regulatory matters” under consideration at county, regional, state and federal levels.
The five-page platform outlines priorities involving community services; environmental quality; governance, transparency and labor relations; housing, community and economic development; public safety; revenue and taxation; and transportation, communication and public works infrastructure.
Among actions that can advance city priorities are letters supporting or opposing legislative bills, encouraging community engagement to support or oppose bills, meeting directly with officials, bill authors and their staffs and participating in public hearings “to advocate for the city’s position.”
The platform will enable the city “to quickly respond to issues and legislation affecting Yorba Linda’s interests,” Geoff Spencer, the city’s principal management analyst, reported to council members.
Platform guidelines regarding local control call for preserving and protecting the city’s “powers, duties and abilities to enact legislation and policy direction concerning local affairs and oppose legislation that preempts local authority.”
Among the guidelines for promoting fiscal stability are supporting measures that preserve the city’s revenue base and local control over budgeting and opposing measures that shift local funds to county, state or federal governments “without offsetting benefits.”
The guidelines also call for supporting opportunities that “allow the city to compete for its fair share of regional, state and federal funding,” which may include grant programs and funding streams allowing the city to maximize local revenues and capital expenditures.
A key platform element deals with housing by stating support for legislation that “strengthens local control and decision-making on land use and zoning matters” and opposes legislation that “erodes the ability of cities to condition and deny projects that inadequately mitigate impacts to the community.”
The city also supports reforms to housing law to “provide clear processes and flexibility to allow regional cooperation and establish realistic housing goals and performance standards.”
Regarding environmental matters, the platform notes the city will oppose legislation that “imposes undue hardship on residents, businesses and local agencies to implement environmental regulations.”
Also, the city will oppose “waste and recovery measures imposing state-mandated costs when there is no guarantee of local cost recovery or offsetting benefit.”
The city also expressed support for legislation that “modernizes requirements for publication of legal notices to allow for electronic posting” and “to achieve and maintain fair and proportionate representation on county-wide and regional boards.”
Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He regularly gives his take on local issues. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.