Town of Portola Valley Measure N — Town Charter and Property Transfer Tax Measure (San Mateo County)

What it does

Town of Portola Valley Autonomy Measure. Shall the measure maintaining Portola Valley’s independent status be adopted, providing: wildfire prevention/vegetation management; 911 emergency response/police patrols; local zoning/planning services; storm drain repair; and general government services; by adopting a charter for the Town of Portola Valley solely for, and establishing a real property transfer tax of $10 per $1,000, paid by buyers or sellers of property, until ended by voters, providing approximately $2,000,000 in locally controlled funding annually, with independent oversight?

A YES vote means

Portola Valley would adopt a town charter to set a real property transfer tax of $10 per $1,000, paid by buyers or sellers, raising about $2,000,000 a year for town services until ended by voters.

A NO vote means

Portola Valley would not adopt this charter or set this transfer tax.

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

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

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

The Portola Valley Town Council placed this measure on the ballot by Resolution No. 3010-2026, adopted July 22, 2026 by a 5-0 vote (Wolter, Hasko, Flynn, Hufty and Taylor), after public hearings on May 13 and June 24, 2026, according to the resolution filed with the San Mateo County Elections Office.

According to the resolution, Portola Valley has been a general law town since 1964 and has levied a real property transfer tax since 1967 at the state maximum of 27.5 cents per $500 of sale price; as a general law town it cannot raise that rate, but a charter town could.

The single measure asks voters to approve both a Town Charter making Portola Valley a charter town and an ordinance adopting a higher real property transfer tax; each requires a simple majority under the state constitution.

Put on the ballot by Portola Valley Town Council, 5-0, July 22, 2026 (Resolution No. 3010-2026).

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 Menlo Park Measure P — Citizen Initiative to Amend Municipal Code
• City of Pacifica Measure BB — Transactions and Use 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 Town of Portola Valley Measure N mean?

Portola Valley would adopt a town charter to set a real property transfer tax of $10 per $1,000, paid by buyers or sellers, raising about $2,000,000 a year for town services until ended by voters.

What does a NO vote on Town of Portola Valley Measure N mean?

Portola Valley would not adopt this charter or set this transfer tax.

How many votes does Town of Portola Valley Measure N 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 Town of Portola Valley Measure N?

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.