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Goleta City Council at the 2026 State of the City (pictured left-to-right: District 4 Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes- Martín, Mayor Paula Perotte, District 2 Councilmember James Kyriaco, and Mayor Pro Tempore and District 3 Councilmember Jennifer Smith) | Credit: Courtesy 
Audience at the Community State of the City | Credit: Courtesy 
Attendees Mingling and Visiting City Information Tables | Credit: Courtesy 
City Staff at Event | Credit: Courtesy 
Popular Q and A Session | Credit: Courtesy 
City Manager Robert Nisbet presenting at the 2026 Goleta Community State of the City | Credit: Courtesy 
Mayor Perotte speaking at the 2026 Goleta Community State of the City | Credit: Courtesy
GOLETA, CA, April 16, 2026 – For the first time in the history of the Goleta Community State of the City, the entire Goleta City Council last night, April 15, 2026, joined the Mayor in presenting the 2026 State of the City Address. The presentations were a part of the City’s biggest night of the year held at the Goleta Community Center beginning with an hour of mingling and visiting information tables showcasing City departments. Attendees then gathered in the auditorium for the program which included presentations followed by a live Question and Answer section.
Two moving videos kicked off the ceremony, one featuring 6th graders at La Patera Elementary sharing what they love about Goleta, what issues they see as important, and what they would do as Councilmember for a day – watch it here. The second video highlights all the great things that have happened in the Good Land this past year, check it out here.
Each presenter walked across the stage to walk up music played by keyboardist Tyler McCutchen, a junior at Dos Pueblos High School. Mayor Perotte chose “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye as her song and explained the new format for this year. She said, “Good government is not a monologue, it is a dialogue. Tonight, relying on my colleagues and City Manager to deliver our State of the City illustrates another reason I confidently say our city is strong. Goleta’s successes result from far more than who exercises the duties of Mayor. It depends on all of us.”
The presenters went in order of the Districts represented beginning with Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín of the first district, who chose the song “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder. She discussed public safety, emergency preparedness, and the environment. Councilmember Reyes- Martín said, “Goleta is investing wisely, planning responsibly, and putting our residents first. We’re building a city that is safe, resilient, and environmentally responsible not just for today, but for future generations.”
2nd District Councilmember James Kyriaco chose the song, “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers and took on the topic of transportation and circulation. He began by saying, “If I had to describe the state of our city in just a few words, I would say this: Goleta is under construction and making progress, as promised. To our residents, visitors and local businesses, I say thank you for your patience. Across our community, you can see the results of a city that is investing seriously in its future. We are repairing the infrastructure we inherited, improving safety, and expanding transportation options so residents have real choices in how they move around our city.”
Mayor Pro Tempore and 3rd District Councilmember Jennifer Smith walked up to the song “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper and addressed services, parks, recreation, and community spaces. She concluded her presentation by saying, “All of these efforts reflect our shared commitment to maintaining the quality of life that makes Goleta such a special place to live, work and play. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our City staff, our community partners and residents like you who stay engaged and involved.”
Walking up to the Ragtime song “The Entertainer”, 4th District Councilmember Stuart Kasdin tackled the hot topic of housing and homelessness. He said, “To have an impact, we need to both continue to provide affordable housing opportunities as well as to devise ways to halt the addition of new homelessness through prevention strategies.”
City Manager Robert Nisbet, walking up to the song “Money” by Pink Floyd, gave an update on the City’s finances including economic development indicators and an eye-opening trend we are seeing in Goleta. He said, “Goleta is emerging as a statewide leader in quantum technology, anchored by major assets like the Google Quantum AI campus and UCSB’s OASIS innovation hub, which together position the city at the center of California’s quantum ecosystem. Goleta hosts a unique concentration of quantum talent and infrastructure, unmatched by any other city of similar size in California.”
The night ended with the popular Q and A segment. Questions from the audience submitted on index cards included questions about pavement, projects, public safety, upcoming events and more.
