Hayward · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Hayward public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
General Municipal Election — City Hall Vote Center
The November 3 council meeting was canceled so City Hall can serve as a vote center for the General Municipal Election. Residents can vote in person on Election Day from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, or early from October 31 through November 2. The next regular council meeting is November 17, 2026.
Business license tax modernization
The city is quietly moving toward a November 2026 ballot measure to modernize the business license tax, untouched for nearly 50 years. A consultant is being hired to build a fiscal model, and a community poll could happen within weeks. Estimates discussed ranged from $13-21 million (union estimate) to a prior assessment well below a $28 million figure.
Election Information
Election Day is just around the corner, and Hayward's City Clerk is reminding everyone to check their registration and find their local drop box. Voters will be casting ballots for mayor and specific council districts, so it's time to make a plan to vote.
Tobacco retailer license enforcement and youth protection
The city is cracking down on tobacco shops that repeatedly sold flavored products, vapes, and items appealing to youth. Four licenses were revoked, and residents — including students and a prevention professional — urged the commission to hold violators accountable.
Downtown density increase via General Plan amendments
The commission recommended raising downtown density limits to 40–210 units per acre and remapping 130 parcels to match the Downtown Specific Plan. Consistency makes Hayward more competitive for One Bay Area Grant and transit-oriented community funding — potentially millions in state and regional money.
Shelter crisis declaration and tiny homes for domestic violence survivors
The council extended legal authorization for tiny homes on Huntwood Avenue that shelter survivors of domestic violence through 2036. A public commenter urged the city to also plan winter shelter for the city's 400-plus unhoused residents.
Business Friendly Hayward regulatory overhaul
Councilmembers Syrop and Andrews heard from developers that Hayward's permitting takes too many rounds of comments and drives up costs — like requiring separate water meters for each of 13 units. They want a coordinated push to make Hayward 'open for business.'
Care facility funding concerns raised in public comment
BACS will build an 83-bed locked mental health treatment center on the former Navigation Center site in West Hayward. The use is allowed by right under state law; the commission weighed only variances for building size, setbacks, and a 14-foot security fence driven by the parcels' odd shapes and easements.
Russell City Redress Fund
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation was approved as fiscal sponsor for the Russell City Redress Fund, moving the redress effort forward.
AC Transit fiscal cliff and potential service cuts
The city put another $1.1 million of Measure BB money into paratransit rides, raising the Onward Health contract cap to about $1.98 million.
Police surveillance technology expansion (Axon DFR and ALPR)
The council approved a five-year, up-to-$2.9M Axon package including drone-as-first-responder equipment and 64 license plate reader cameras, replacing expiring Flock cameras. Supporters point to solved abduction cases; critics worry about mass surveillance, data misuse, and ICE access.
Eden Ranch 72-unit townhouse condominium development
Hayward is getting 72 new three-story townhouse-style condos on Mission Boulevard, including eight affordable homes — more than the city's minimum requirement. The project replaces a long-vacant site and preserves 1.5 acres of hillside as open space.
Data center environmental concerns
Data centers under 50 megawatts will be decided by the Planning Commission; bigger ones need City Council approval under a new major conditional use permit. Some commissioners questioned why large data centers face extra hurdles when Hayward sits on prime power and fiber infrastructure.
Police Department Service Impacts and New Programs
A police department scandal involving a $1,000 bribe to cover a massage parlor was acknowledged; the implicated individual has pled not guilty and an investigation is underway.
Downtown Loop Redesign (Safe Streets Downtown)
Public commenters urged the city to convert downtown one-way streets back to two-way and rethink the freeway loop, arguing downtown feels like a pass-through. Professor Sherman Lewis presented a traffic circle concept for Foothill/Mission/Jackson with underground pedestrian crossings.
Homelessness Down 21% in Hayward
The latest county point-in-time count shows Hayward's homeless population dropped 21% — from 512 to 404 people — better than the countywide 13% decline. The mayor credited regional collaboration and housing investments.
Fire Department Staffing and Response Capacity
Hayward has about 100 trained CERT volunteers ready to deploy in a disaster, with a goal of adding 50-100 per year. Council members discussed recruiting more, partnering with Cal State East Bay, and whether council members should take the training themselves.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Funding (WIFIA/SRF)
The Water Resource Recovery Facility phase two upgrade is shovel-ready but has been waiting over a year for a federal WIFIA loan. Staff and Senator Padilla's office are pushing to unblock it; the project would create roughly 1,500 construction jobs and must be done by 2034.
CDBG Funding and the Future of the Community Services Commission
With the community agency funding cycle canceled due to budget shortfalls, about $1.5 million in federal CDBG money is going to one-time internal projects instead of nonprofits. Commissioners told the council they felt shut out of the process, and the council directed staff to expand the commission into an advisory role with a community needs assessment.
FY27-FY36 Capital Improvement Program
Public Works launched an online dashboard letting residents track 100+ city construction projects, with council members asking for maps, renderings, and clearer status descriptions.
Public Safety Center Siting
The current police station no longer meets the department's needs, and the former Air National Guard site is now the preferred location for a new Public Safety Center. Staff is exploring phased approaches and possible public-private partnerships since the city can't fund full construction now.
Emergency Operations Center training for elected officials
The council got trained on its role during a major disaster — relaying verified info, routing resident reports to an EOC liaison, and avoiding unverified social media posts. A condensed emergency handbook for council members is expected by May.
A Street sewer line replacement
A $4.15 million contract will replace the aging A Street sewer line, reducing the risk of sewer failures in that corridor.
Business Friendly Hayward code overhaul
Hayward is rewriting big chunks of its zoning code to make it easier to open desirable businesses — small markets selling beer and wine, home-based businesses, karaoke nights, temporary events. It also adds stricter rules for data centers, massage establishments, gas stations and cannabis dispensaries. The City Council makes the final call April 21.
Citywide Speed Management Plan
The council adopted a plan to reduce and manage traffic speeds citywide, aimed at cutting traffic deaths and severe injuries. Speed is a major factor in crash severity, and the plan provides a toolbox of strategies for future street projects.
Library budget cuts reducing hours and services
Hayward libraries got their state grants this year, but the state may cut about $130,000 in ESL funding next year, a program serving roughly 300 residents. The council authorized accepting up to $350,000 annually in state and donated library funding through FY 2028-29.
Federal funding risks: ACA subsidies and homelessness grants
The city accepted $1.9 million in Prop 47 grant funds, most of it going to Bay Area Community Services for enhanced services at the Hayward Navigation Center. Andrews asked for crime-stat updates on safety around the Navigation Center and Regis Village.
Proposed closure of Faith Ringgold Elementary School
More than a dozen parents, students, and neighbors urged the council to intervene as the Hayward school district moves to close Faith Ringgold Elementary. Speakers cited state law AB 1912, lack of an equity impact analysis, no transportation plan, and special education students being sent across town. The city has no direct jurisdiction, but Mayor Salinas said the council is tracking the issue with the superintendent and school board.
83-Unit Condominium Development at 1101/1103 Walpert Street
The ARC of the East Bay community center will be demolished and replaced with 83 townhouse-style condos. State housing law (SB 330) left the commission little room to deny a project that meets all objective standards, so the real debate was over creek setbacks, trees, traffic, and whether the $3 million in-lieu fee is a fair trade for on-site affordable units.
Affordable Housing In-Lieu Fees and Housing Trust Fund
Commissioners discussed Hayward's struggle to meet state housing targets for very low, low, and moderate income households — the city is at only 30-40% on those categories while exceeding 120% on market-rate. Staff and the developer discussed in-lieu fees, density bonus incentives, and state funding scarcity for 100% affordable projects.
58-unit townhouse condominium development at 24041 Amador Street
A vacant office building that's been empty since 2024 will be replaced with 58 for-sale townhomes, including five deed-restricted affordable units and six accessible units. Every home gets solar panels, a two-car garage, and EV-ready wiring. Commissioners saw it as a model for turning underused office land into homeownership opportunities.
Rent stabilization program cost recovery
The council formally adopted the rent stabilization and tenant protection ordinance, locking in protections for renters in Hayward.
Unpermitted street vending and impacts on small businesses
Multiple restaurant owners told the council unpermitted street vendors — some allegedly selling alcohol near an elementary school — are undercutting their licensed, tax-paying businesses, forcing layoffs and cut hours. The mayor described recent enforcement wins but acknowledged the difficulty, and promised a meeting with owners, the city manager, and code enforcement.
East Bay Greenway through Hayward
A 16-mile regional walking and biking trail from Oakland to South Hayward cleared its scoping hurdle for the Hayward segment, mostly along Whitman with some parking removal next to the railroad. Environmental review is expected by mid-2027; construction funding isn't secured yet.
High Injury Network safety plan funding
The council approved $1.2 million for Phase 2 safety studies on dangerous corridors including Mission Boulevard — but advocates urged pilot projects instead, citing $12 million already spent on studies and two cyclist deaths on Mission.
Business Friendly Hayward zoning code overhaul
Hayward wants to make it easier to open breweries, daycares, tattoo shops and other businesses by cutting permit requirements and consolidating eight commercial zoning districts into five. Final adoption hearings come this spring.
Sales tax decline from BART car contract
Hayward's recent strong sales tax years were largely a one-time boost from the BART car contract, and about $7.7 million is coming out of the forecast. Council wants a policy so one-time windfalls go to reserves instead of funding ongoing positions.
City Manager Appointment
Hayward is getting a new city manager: Jennifer Ott is set to take over as the top administrator running day-to-day city operations. That means she’ll oversee departments, carry out City Council priorities, and manage the city’s budget and services. The appointment matters because the city manager shapes how efficiently local government delivers basics like permits, public works, and emergency services.
Pension/investment Divestment Council Vote
Hayward’s council narrowly voted to pull $1.6 million of city money out of companies linked to Israel. It’s a small slice of public funds, but the squeaker vote shows real debate over how the city invests your money.
Public Records Court Ruling
Hayward and its police department just lost a public records case at the California Supreme Court. That means the city may have to hand over records it wanted to keep under wraps, and it could change how Hayward handles disclosure requests going forward.