https://jfkdebate.com JFK Debate is a non-partisan platform for public debate on local issues: town hall calendars, citizen initiatives, a local government directory and voter tools for every US city. en-us Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://jfkdebate.com/blog/local-ballot-measures-november-2026/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/local-ballot-measures-november-2026/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 News & Analysis A non-partisan guide to confirmed local ballot measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot: LA charter reform, Bay Area transit taxes, St. Paul tenant rights. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/city-budget-pressures-fiscal-2027/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/city-budget-pressures-fiscal-2027/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 News & Analysis As of September 2026, cities from Portland to Chicago are closing large budget gaps for fiscal year 2027. The confirmed numbers, the cuts and what to do. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/extreme-heat-city-resilience/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/extreme-heat-city-resilience/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Local Issue Deep Dives How cities plan for extreme heat: heat action plans, chief heat officers, cooling centers, tree canopy and cool roofs, what works and who benefits. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/federal-funding-changes-cities-2026/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/federal-funding-changes-cities-2026/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 News & Analysis A non-partisan look at 2026 federal funding changes hitting cities: the OMB grant rule rewrite, appropriations cuts and sanctuary-city litigation. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/boston-question-1-budget-reform/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/boston-question-1-budget-reform/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Success Stories Boston's 2021 Question 1 gave the City Council power to amend the mayor's budget and created an Office of Participatory Budgeting. Here is what changed. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/civilian-police-oversight-boards/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/civilian-police-oversight-boards/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Local Issue Deep Dives How civilian police oversight works: review boards, auditors and investigative agencies, city examples, the powers that matter, and arguments on both sides. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-city-budgets-work/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-city-budgets-work/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 How Local Government Works How city budgets work: where local revenue comes from, operating vs. capital budgets, the budget calendar, public hearings and how to read a city budget. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-file-public-records-request/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-file-public-records-request/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Guides How to file a public records request: federal FOIA vs. state laws, finding the records officer, a sample request letter, fees, deadlines, appeals, and MuckRock. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/ai-in-city-government-2026/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/ai-in-city-government-2026/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 News & Analysis As of 2026, cities use AI for chatbots, permitting, translation and cameras. What is confirmed, where it fails, and the questions residents should ask. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/public-transit-funding-local/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/public-transit-funding-local/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Local Issue Deep Dives How local transit is funded, why agencies face a post-pandemic fiscal cliff, what recent ballot measures and state rescues did, and the service tradeoffs. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-write-to-elected-officials/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-write-to-elected-officials/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Guides How to write to your congressman or city council: email, letter, and call templates, what staff actually do with your message, and a clear do/don't table. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/mayors-elected-2025-first-year-agendas/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/mayors-elected-2025-first-year-agendas/ Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 News & Analysis A non-partisan look at how mayors elected in November 2025 are governing in 2026, from New York and Seattle to Detroit, and what their first year shows. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/school-boards-explained/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/school-boards-explained/ Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 How Local Government Works How do school boards work? Elected vs. appointed boards, their power over budgets and curriculum, public comment rules, and how to run for school board. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/short-term-rentals-city-regulation/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/short-term-rentals-city-regulation/ Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Local Issue Deep Dives How cities regulate short-term rentals: registration, caps and bans, what NYC's Local Law 18 changed, effects on housing and tourism, and both sides. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/high-line-community-advocacy/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/high-line-community-advocacy/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Success Stories How two Manhattan residents founded Friends of the High Line, stopped demolition of an abandoned rail viaduct, and sparked a debate about gentrification. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-find-your-representative/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-find-your-representative/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Guides Find my representative by zip code: official tools for your U.S. House member, senators, state legislators and council district — and why ZIP codes mislead. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/zoning-reform-housing-affordability/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/zoning-reform-housing-affordability/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Local Issue Deep Dives A balanced look at zoning reform and housing affordability: single-family zoning, ADUs, parking minimums, real city results, and how to weigh in locally. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-start-a-petition/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-start-a-petition/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Guides How to start a petition in your state or city: informal vs. legally binding petitions, initiative states, signature validation, and a step-by-step checklist. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/county-government-explained/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/county-government-explained/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 How Local Government Works What does county government do? A guide to boards of supervisors and commissioners, row officers like the sheriff and assessor, and where county money goes. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-speak-at-city-council-meeting/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-to-speak-at-city-council-meeting/ Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Guides How to speak at city council meeting: find the agenda, sign up for public comment, know your time limit, and deliver a two-minute script that lands. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/new-york-participatory-budgeting/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/new-york-participatory-budgeting/ Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Success Stories How NYC participatory budgeting grew from four council districts in 2011 to the citywide People's Money — how it works, what it funded, and its limits. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/mayor-council-vs-council-manager/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/mayor-council-vs-council-manager/ Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000 How Local Government Works Council-manager form of government vs. mayor-council: how strong mayor, weak mayor, commission and town meeting systems work, with real city examples. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/flint-residents-water-testing-citizen-science/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/flint-residents-water-testing-citizen-science/ Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Success Stories How Flint residents, led by LeeAnne Walters, teamed with Virginia Tech scientists to test tap water, prove a lead crisis, and change water policy. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/austin-save-our-springs-citizen-initiative/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/austin-save-our-springs-citizen-initiative/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Success Stories How Austin's Save Our Springs movement turned an all-night 1990 council hearing into a 1992 citizen-initiated ordinance protecting Barton Springs. https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-does-local-government-work/ https://jfkdebate.com/blog/how-does-local-government-work/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000 How Local Government Works How does local government work? A plain-English guide to cities, counties, school boards and special districts, plus who to call when something goes wrong.