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Portola Valley voters will decide whether their town will adopt a charter, after the Town Council voted unanimously on July 22 to place a local funding measure on the November ballot.
Becoming a charter town will allow Portola Valley to establish a real property transfer tax of $10 per $1,000 of a property’s sale price. This tax would be paid by buyers or sellers during the sale of a property, and its goal is to provide the town with funding to support its services and financial stability.
The measure aims to help “maintain public safety, protect local control and address resident services needs and priorities,” according to a town press release on July 22.
The council’s decision to pursue a town charter comes after more than a year of discussing different ways to increase town revenue amid Portola Valley’s struggles with budget cuts and increasing demand for capital improvement projects. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s contract, which serves as the town’s police force, has risen by 85% over the past five years, putting a strain on the town’s finances.
Assistant Town Manager Tony McFarlane said without a new stream of revenue, the town’s general fund is expected to face an ongoing deficit of about $700,000 per year, which is forecast to deplete Portola Valley’s reserve funds by 2030.
Over the past year, the town has released community surveys and invited residents to share their priorities in preparation for a ballot measure.
“The community has made it clear that Portola Valley’s financial stability and local control matter,” said Town Manager Darcy Smith in a written statement. “This measure gives residents the opportunity to decide whether to establish a stable, locally controlled funding source that can help protect essential services while preserving the town’s independence and ability to make decisions locally.”
Residents identified other top priorities as wildfire prevention and preparedness, emergency response times and police patrol, repairing damaged storm drains and prevention of county control on local zoning and planning.
If the ballot measure passes with a simple majority, all funds from the real property transfer tax will directly benefit the town. Portola Valley officials said none of the tax’s revenue will be used by the county, state or federal governments.
Adding the measure to the Nov. 3 election will cost the town about $6,000, according to Smith.
“Within five years, we can be as resilient as we were five years ago,” said Councilmember Mary Hufty, during the recent meeting. “This is a time when we need to invest in our town. We really cannot rely on anyone else in an emergency situation.
