Measure G, a revenue measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, deserves the vote of Mountain View residents. It starts with funds for a needed new police station, but also includes money for affordable housing, street repairs and other improvements.
And it doesn’t add taxes for the vast majority of residents.
That’s because the measure, arrived at by a city council subcommittee, imposes only on residential/commercial property sales that are more than $6 million, up to $15 per $1,000. The measure is expected to generate approximately $9.5 million annually until ended by the voters.
Like Los Altos, Mountain View’s public safety facility on Villa Street was built before the state required seismic retrofiting. So by law, the city must update the facility. That means essentially building from scratch.
After years of budget surpluses that enabled the city to do a host of capital improvements, lean budget years lie ahead. Measure G is the only viable option for continuing these improvements.
Initially, the initiative received opposition from some residents concerned that Measure G focused only on the police station. When opponents found out that G would fund other improvements, including parks and open space, they withdrew the nomination (not before the deadline for the Registrar of Voters’ information guide – the “no” argument remains).
Furthermore, the city has been transparent about Measure G, offering a detailed plan. See for yourself at mountainview.gov.
According to city records, 62 properties since 2019 – two residential properties – sold for more than $6 million. Clearly, the residents are getting the better of Measure G. They will continue to benefit from capital improvements in the years ahead without impact on their pocketbooks. Vote yes on Measure G on Nov. 5.
