Solano Together’s Year in Review, And What’s Next

As 2025 comes to a close, we reflect on the incredible year of grassroots organizing around our shared value of investing in Solano County’s existing communities and preserving agricultural land.

This year, we witnessed California Forever advance their agenda by any means possible. After they pulled their ballot initiative in July 2024, CA Forever promised return to County voters in 2026 for a resubmittal of their East Solano Plan. 

However, we saw a different game play out: Suisun City started the process of exploring annexation, followed by Rio Vista–a new strategy involving bypassing the County voters. Read more here.

Here is a quick recap:

🏡 Annexation Agreements with Suisun City and Rio Vista: At the beginning of the year, Suisun City started “exploring annexation.” Despite calls from Solano Together that this was clearly related to California Forever, Suisun City elected officials and staff called this misinformation and a conspiracy. However, by April, both Suisun City and Rio Vista made public that they were considering annexation to allow California Forever’s development a path forward without a County vote. Suisun City is advancing the process, while Rio Vista has taken a more cautious approach. In October, California Forever submitted their Specific Plan to the City of Suisun. Suisun City is expected to review a Draft Environmental Impact Report before Summer 2026. The annexation still needs approval by the Solano County Local Agency Commission, a tax agreement with the County, and approval from different agencies.

🚢 Shipbuilding in Collinsville: In March, California Forever announced its shipbuilding proposal in Collinsville. They aimed to rally support for the initiative despite the lack of details provided. At the end of the California State Legislative Session in September, California Forever pushed State Legislators to have a carve-out from local control and environmental review for the project (read more here). 

A few things to follow in 2026:

1. The Annexation Process in Suisun City

   1. The Draft Environmental Impact Report is expected early in the new year, as the Notice of Preparation has been released and the comment period has closed

   2. The Suisun City recall effort is gaining steam. We are not associated with this effort, but share key concerns around City Council transparency and California Forever.

2. The Solano County General Plan Update: The Solano County Measure T (Orderly Growth Initiative) is set to expire in 2028. The County has started initial discussions around updating the General Plan, which Measure T is embedded in, but not much has moved forward. This is an important process that we will follow closely!

3. Shipbuilding in Solano County: The Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen-backed company Saronic Technology—that California Forever hoped to be the anchor tenant for the proposed Collinsville shipyard—is set to announce where they hope to locate a shipbuilding facility by the end of the year. If they choose Collinsville, expect a legislative push to accommodate California Forever’s demands. That may look like environmental streamlining, expansion of the existing industrial area around Collinsville, public funding, or more. We’re backing the Vallejo City Council in their push for shipbuilding in Vallejo first and foremost. 

4. California Forever State Level Strategy: California Forever is likely to push harder at the state level for additional carve-outs. This recent op-ed from Chris Elmedorf of UC Davis and Ed Glaeser of Harvard suggests a state-level strategy. We need housing in California, the Bay Area, and Solano County—we don’t need billionaire handouts and greenfield development. Be ready to call and write your State representatives next year.

Given California Forever’s track record, expect changes in their proposals and how they hope to advance their different projects.

Our Focus In The New Year

Earlier this year, California Forever’s CEO, Jan Sramek, announced that 2025 was going to be a pivotal year for their project. As the year comes to a close, we predict 2026 is going to be a crucial one for Solano Together.

Over the past year, we continued to grow our coalition by holding monthly meetings, hosting volunteer training and engagement events, and providing reliable information about what is going on in Solano County. Check out this Instagram reel from our Suisun Community Picnic! 

More than ever, we’ll be proactive in pushing back on California Forever’s proposals and offering an alternative vision for the County that addresses the challenges around attracting jobs, creating enough homes for people to live comfortably, and strengthening County and City finances without approving this detrimental development. 

We’ll continue to grow our base of supporters by hosting more events and volunteer opportunities. Please fill out this form if you would like to get more involved and keep an eye out for events in the new year.

This will be the year we need you more than ever.