City of Alameda voters will decide Measure N on Nov. 3, a City Charter amendment that changes how the City Council signs off on selling or leasing city-owned land. A yes vote lets the council approve most of those deals in one meeting and lowers the vote needed for leases of 10 years or less from four council members to three.

What the charter says now

Alameda's Charter Section 3-10 requires the council to pass an ordinance, by a four-vote supermajority of the five-member council, to lease city property for more than one year or to sell city real property. An ordinance needs two readings at two separate meetings and takes effect 30 days after the second reading, according to the city clerk's staff report that put the measure on the ballot at the council's July 7, 2026 meeting.

What Measure N would change

  • Sales and leases of city property longer than one year would be approved by resolution instead of ordinance. A resolution needs only one meeting and takes effect immediately, the staff report says.
  • Leases of 10 years or less would need a simple majority, three votes instead of four.
  • Property sales and leases longer than 10 years would still need four votes.
  • City property other than Tidelands could be leased for up to one year without council approval, according to the California Choices summary of the measure.

The biggest effect would be at Alameda Point, the former Naval Air Station, where hundreds of acres of city-owned land are still waiting to be transferred into private ownership or leased out, California Choices notes.

Cost and what it takes to pass

Measure N raises no tax. Its fiscal impact is unclear but may bring minor savings from the council time spent drafting ordinances and holding second votes, according to California Choices. It passes with a simple majority of those voting on it.

The idea is not new. A version of the Section 3-10 change was proposed in 2024 but pulled from the council's July 16, 2024 agenda before a vote. This year it came from a council charter review subcommittee. The staff report stresses that placing it on the ballot does not mean the council supports or opposes it.

Who is for and against it

Supporters say faster, simpler approvals would help Alameda fill vacant properties, bring in lease revenue and speed up the transformation of Alameda Point into a mixed-use neighborhood, while keeping the four-vote rule for the longest, highest-stakes deals.

Opponents say the subcommittee offered no evidence that the current rules hold back economic development, and that dropping the supermajority removes the need for broad agreement on decisions that can tie up public land for decades. They also argue the measure does not say which vote threshold applies to a lease of 10 years or less that includes options to extend beyond 10 years, which they say could create uncertainty or even a lawsuit.

What your vote means

  • Yes: The council approves city property sales and leases over one year by resolution, and leases of up to 10 years need three votes instead of four.
  • No: The current rule stays: an ordinance passed by four votes for any lease over one year or any sale.

Measure N shares the Alameda ballot with Measure M, a separate charter cleanup, and Measure L, the $300 million SAFER Alameda bond. Alameda voters also decide the regional Measure RTM transit sales tax. See every local measure in our Nov. 3, 2026 Bay Area election guide.