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San Mateo County Parks
ballot measure update
by Julia Bott, Executive Director of the San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation

Park advocates in San Mateo County are delighted that their efforts resulted in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signing Senate Bill 203, giving San Mateo County the ability to present voters with a ballot measure increasing county sales tax by one-eighth cent to fund parks and recreation activities throughout San Mateo County.

With this hurdle addressed, park advocates can now focus on the details of the ballot measure, which will not go before the voters until 2006 at the earliest. If approved by voters, parks and recreation-related activities in San Mateo County, in cities located within the County, in the Ladera and Highlands recreation districts and in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District would gain dedicated, sales-tax-based funding.

Broad-based support for Senate Bill 203
The legislation co-authored by all of the legislators representing San Mateo County (Senators Simitian and Speier and Assemblymembers Mullin, Ruskin, and Yee) received support from the Committee for Green Foothills, the American Heart Association of San Mateo County, Coyote Point Museum, Friends of Edgewood, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, San Mateo County and numerous cities in San Mateo County, San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation, Sheriff Don Horsley, and the Sierra Club. The many letters from individuals, thanks to appeals by the various groups, helped secure this positive outcome.

Over the past year, respected local leaders from Parks for the Future — a wide-ranging group comprised of nonprofits, cities, the County and special districts — have been crafting a funding solution for community parks and recreation. The need for SB 203 arose from their choice of a smaller tax — one-eighth cent sales tax versus one-quarter or one-half cent — an option not available without special legislation.

The group has reached consensus on many items of the proposed ballot measure to increase sales tax in San Mateo County by one-eighth cent. They've identified a formula for distributing funds to the county, cities and districts. They've agreed that funds from the measure can be used to address the many needs, including park maintenance, operations, recreation activities and programs, capital improvements and park land acquisition.

Do your part to support San Mateo County Parks
Over the next few months, Parks for the Future will be making presentations to parks commissions and city councils across San Mateo County to gain public support. During the presentations, the public will have an opportunity to hear about the proposed ballot measure and share their thoughts with the proponents. Watch for and attend local hearings to show your support.