City of Menlo Park Measure P — Citizen Initiative to Amend Municipal Code (San Mateo County)

What it does

Should the measure, which prohibits the City of Menlo Park from making changes to City-owned downtown parking lot properties, including selling, leasing, or conveying any of the properties, authorizing a new use such as housing development on any of the properties, or modifying, altering, or constructing improvements on any of the properties, if such change would diminish parking availability, access or convenience, unless the voters pass another ballot measure to approve the change, be adopted?

A YES vote means

Menlo Park could not sell, lease, build on or allow new uses such as housing on City-owned downtown parking lots if it would reduce parking availability, access or convenience, unless voters approve the change.

A NO vote means

Changes to Menlo Park's downtown parking lots would not require voter approval.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

This is a citizen initiative: a notice of intent to circulate was filed May 15, 2025, the petition was filed October 10, 2025 with 3,440 unverified signatures (2,103 valid signatures, 10% of registered voters, were required), and the City Clerk certified it as sufficient on November 4, 2025, according to Menlo Park City Council Resolution No. 7008.

After receiving a staff report on the initiative under Elections Code section 9212, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 7008 on December 2, 2025 by a 5-0 vote (Combs, Nash, Schmidt, Taylor and Wise) to submit it to voters rather than adopt it.

According to the ballot question, the measure would bar the City from selling, leasing or changing the use of City-owned downtown parking lots, including for housing, without voter approval.

Put on the ballot by Citizen initiative petition; submitted to voters by the Menlo Park City Council, 5-0, December 2, 2025 (Resolution No. 7008).

From official source.

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on San Mateo County ballots

• City of Belmont Measure Y — Special Tax Measure
• City of Brisbane Measure X — Business License Tax Measure
• City of East Palo Alto Measure O — Bond Measure
• City of East Palo Alto Measure CC — Term Limits Measure
• City of Half Moon Bay Measure I — Coastal Land Use Measure
• City of Half Moon Bay Measure Q — Housing Initiative Measure
• City of Pacifica Measure BB — Transactions and Use Tax Measure
• Town of Portola Valley Measure N — Town Charter and Property Transfer Tax Measure
• City of Redwood City Measure E — Rent Control and Eviction Limits Initiative
• City of San Bruno Measure S — Housing Permits and Developments Measure
• City of San Bruno Measure DD — Fireworks Ban Measure
• City of San Bruno Measure EE — Business License Tax Measure
• City of San Carlos Measure G — Transactions and Use Tax Measure
• City of San Mateo Measure H — Transactions and Use Tax Measure
• City of San Mateo Measure F — Charter Amendment Measure

All San Mateo County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Menlo Park Measure P mean?

Menlo Park could not sell, lease, build on or allow new uses such as housing on City-owned downtown parking lots if it would reduce parking availability, access or convenience, unless voters approve the change.

What does a NO vote on City of Menlo Park Measure P mean?

Changes to Menlo Park's downtown parking lots would not require voter approval.

How many votes does City of Menlo Park Measure P need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Menlo Park Measure P?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.