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Portola Valley Mayor Judith Hasko is ready to help the town move forward in its myriad struggles. Looking at the town’s financial crisis, decertified housing element and staffing shortage, Hasko said she is excited to lead efforts to define a path forward and is ready for the hard work ahead.
Hasko was elected onto the council in 2022, served as vice mayor in 2024 and was a member of the Planning Commission for eight years. As mayor, Hasko said her goals for the new year are to find stability in the town’s finances, move toward hiring a permanent town manager, rebuild trust and communication with residents and get the town’s housing element certified.
Creating a path to resolve financial crisis
The Town Council is currently exploring options to increase revenue through a user utility tax. It is also considering becoming a charter town, raising parcel taxes and leasing town property.
“I believe we should explore becoming a charter city and any benefits that may give us for flexible revenue generation going forward,” said Hasko.
Becoming a charter town would allow Portola Valley to impose a real estate transfer tax that would generate about $1.5 million per year starting in 2027, according to Finance Director Tony McFarlane. In the new year, Hasko said there is a high possibility that the town will explore this option and conduct further analysis on the magnitude of the benefits.
Hasko said she plans to work with town staff and the community to provide transparency to the public about the town’s efforts to get its finances in shape.
“We will need to and we will work together to address and get on a path to a more stable financial situation moving forward in the short term and the long term,” said Hasko.
She emphasizes the importance of utilizing the talents of current town staff and bringing in skills and experiences from community members to explore different solutions for a stable financial future.
Although addressing town finances will be a multi-year endeavor, Hasko hopes to develop a timeline of the town’s next steps as well as communicate to the public on what they can expect.
Short staff
Without a permanent town manager, planning and building director, town clerk and town engineer, residents have been alerted that town services will be delayed and reduced Town Hall hours will be limited to Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m to noon indefinitely.
“People have to understand that with the balanced budget that we’ve adopted, there will be some delays but it’s not going to be due to a lack of engagement of the staff we have, it’s really to do with the overall level of staffing,” said Hasko.
She hinted that Portola Valley might be seeing a new town manager come on board early this year. According to Hasko, the town plans to hire an interim town manager in the near future and then a permanent town manager over the course of the year. Efforts toward hiring have already begun and residents can expect updates on the process during a council meeting sometime in January, she said.
“We have a lot to do in 2025 and hiring a town manager will have a big impact on our ability to execute our plans with respect to finances and other top priorities,” said Hasko.
Striving for a certified housing element
The town was struck hard with the news that its housing element was decertified in late March after the town failed to pass necessary zoning amendments soon after its initial certification. While Portola Valley’s housing element has yet to be certified by the state Department of Housing and Community Development, Hasko said she believes the town “is very close to understanding how to become certified.”
Interim Planning and Building Director Terrence Grindall is currently working on a proposal for zoning necessities to address the HCD’s final requirements before certification, according to Hasko. She said the town plans to bring the zoning proposal forward in the next month.
“We have significantly increased housing mandates from the state. We did not anticipate the demand that would have on us financially or as a community, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of seeing how we can navigate in these new circumstances,” said Hasko.
Rebuilding the community’s trust
Hasko believes that increasing communication and outreach will be crucial to the town’s success. For 2025, she welcomes residents to share their concerns and suggestions to the town so the community can work together to surpass its challenges.
“I want to make sure that people feel that they can engage with the council,” Hasko said.
She plans to use the town’s website to post more updates on the financial situation to allow community members to track the town’s timeline on completing projects such as the ongoing financial audits.
“I think the more people feel that they have an avenue to obtaining information, that’s an important element of building trust,” Hasko said.
The town has many challenges ahead but Hasko encourages the community to engage and be patient as the Town Council and staff work through difficult times.
“It’s going to be a challenge but I believe that we can do it as long as we are all focused and working toward the same direction,” Hasko said.
This story is informative but only skims the surface of the many issues covered by earlier Almanac coverage of Portola Valley. I hope this new reporter has the time to dig deeper for future Portola Valley coverage.