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In an uncontested race, three incumbents will be returning to the Portola Valley Town Council for another four years. Mayor Craig Taylor and councilmembers Mary Hufty and Judith Hasko said they are committed to maintaining the town’s progress in reaching financial stability in their new terms.Â
Portola Valley couldn’t cancel its Town Council election due to placing Measure N on the ballot, said Town Manager Darcy Smith.Â
With the town facing a structural deficit, council members are relying heavily on the approval of Measure N, which establishes Portola Valley as a charter town and creates a property transfer tax to boost town revenues.
Craig Taylor
When Taylor first ran for a seat on the council in 2022, he said he noticed a lack of civility between council members and the public. Over the last four years, Taylor said he’s proud to see that the relationship between the council and residents has been restored and he hopes to maintain that in his next term.
“We’re back to a place where we can have debates, we can disagree, but we’re doing it civilly,” said Taylor.
He also acknowledged the town’s progress in hiring more staffers after struggling with shortages. The town also appointed Town Manager Darcy Smith last summer.
But as some of the town’s struggles become resolved, its lack of financial reserves and major budget cuts remain a top concern for Taylor.
“The council has already, because of our financial situation, cut things that I find unacceptable in the long run. … It’s like owning a home,” said Taylor. “You can skip your maintenance for a while, but if you keep on that path, your expenses don’t get less, they get much higher because things really start to fall apart.”
In 2022, Taylor’s campaign was focused on financial stability, wildfire preparedness, supporting transparent governance and honoring the town’s commitment to open space. He said those priorities still remain, however, four years ago, he wasn’t aware of how deeply troubled the town’s finances were.
Heading into his next term, Taylor said his primary focus is on stabilizing finances while also prioritizing public safety and wildfire preparedness.
“I’m certainly proud to serve,” said Taylor. “Portola Valley is special because we’ve made it special, and it’s intentional. The general plan talks about being family-oriented. It’s fundamental at the core of what Portola Valley is, and that’s reflected in our physical environment.”
Mary Hufty
Hufty said she was inspired to run for another term to keep up the town’s progress and direct Portola Valley in the right direction, she said. She believes it’s important to set up the town to ensure the town is able to sustain itself in the long term.
“I have a deep commitment to our current staff and to our town. We’ve gone this far to clear our records to get a certain amount of financial visibility and accessibility, and we have actually got the mechanisms in place to turn the ship around,” said Hufty.
In order to address other town-wide issues such as building affordable housing and infrastructure improvements, finances need to be in order, she added.
“’I’m just hoping that in these next four years we can get enough momentum so that the ball will keep rolling. But everybody’s going to have to keep pushing at it,” Hufty said.
Emergency preparedness is another key concern in the community, which Hufty said also requires money. She emphasized the need for the town to sustain an emergency reserve.
“The things that you have to have money to do are infrastructure, and if your culverts are not clear and they’re all broken down and rotted out, you are not going to be safe in either an earthquake or a flood because they are cumulative,” Hufty said. “We have to be self-reliant because nobody’s going to come save us.”Â
Hufty said she is driven by the challenges she faces every day, meeting people and building community, and she encourages the community to keep volunteering to support the town.
Judith Hasko
While Hasko said there is value in new voices and perspectives on the council, she also acknowledged that the town’s current circumstances would be difficult and “unfair” for someone new to navigate. That’s why she chose to run for another term, she said.
“I decided that if I could be helpful to the town in setting up for a better financial position, that I should stay and do that and see what the next steps for our town are,” said Hasko.
Along with finances, she is focused on ensuring the town has the ability to maintain its strengths in volunteerism across its various committees.
Like her colleagues on the council, Hasko said finances are a top priority for her next term, something that she didn’t fully understand when she was first elected in 2022. The housing element and compliance with the state’s Housing Department of Housing and Community Development requirements are next in line for priorities, said Hasko.
Prior to the election, Hasko also acknowledged that there is work to do on emergency preparedness but said that funding depends on the approval of Measure N, which was leading in election night returns.
Hasko said she is hopeful about making improvements to the town, continuing efforts to regain the community’s trust and working toward stabilizing finances.
“We all really want to make a positive difference toward the community, and look forward instead of looking back, because a lot of the first term was looking back at how we got where we are and what needs to be fixed,” said Hasko.
