And when values go down we'll reduce those city salary increases, right?
Yeah, right.....

12.5%...well, this is just another example that the property tax increases should be more than enough income for mpcsd.

More proof that the public was right, 5 parcel taxes was an overreach and measures a and c were rightly rejected

Under Prop. 13, real property in California is reassessed when there is a change in ownership or new construction. Increases in the price (aka "value") of real estate is another matter. Sounds like Menlo Park has more newcomers than other cities in the county.

>> Sounds like Menlo Park has more newcomers than other cities in the county.

Or new buildings.

Look at South City, ahead of MP. Ditto RWC and San Mateo. Lot of difference between an 'old' downtown where values are not sold/reassessed (damn near) forever, and a new business park coming on the rolls.

So was there "a new business park" that came on the rolls in Menlo Park? As to the school district, I assume it is one of those districts that gets more money because of increased assessment. I am not a MP resident. But as to government - in every area and at every level - the job of taking and wasting your money is never done.

"But as to government - in EVERY area and at EVERY level - the job of taking and wasting your money is NEVER done."

May I interest you in the new libertarian tax-free paradise called Kansas? Just call yourself a business and stop paying taxes!

Low taxes, reduced government in a grand social experiment. Maybe when you move there, you can get those pesky governmental-overreach stop signs off all the roads, along with eliminating the police and the court system, etc..

Web Link

@Not value - just assessed value:


"So was there 'a new business park' that came on the rolls in Menlo Park?"

Building 20 of Facebook was finished last year - probably the largest single building in Menlo Park. The property was owned by Facebook more than a year ago, but I suppose the "improvements" got reflected in the assessment.

Also Facebook purchased a few neighboring properties, intended for future redevelopment.

The table needs an addition column indicating the number of parties that changed hands during the year, triggering a 'market rate' reassessment. This could account for the differences in increase for the cities.

One question in the table concerns Facebook/Sun campus which was bought by the Wisconsin Teachers Retirement System some years ago: FB leased it from WSTRS. I believe WSTSR recently sold the property to another entity, so did this drugget a reassessment or not?

Ah, that's right, Stu - Facebook originally leased the old Sun campus, now it owns it.

Web Link

Hopefully local agencies that benefit from these unusual property tax revenue increases are wise enough both to not build them into their base budgets and to save some for the inevitable future revenue decline.

Population of South City is 66K, Redwood City 101k, San Mateo 88k - Menlo Park 33k. MP is much smaller, yet a juggernaut at $15 billion assessed value.

Does anyone remember Paul Gann? Remember Prop. 4 in 1979 which followed Prop. 13.
It established the Gann Expenditure Limit.
Web Link & Web Link MP surely must be collecting revenue above that limit and should be returning it to property taxpayers.

It's hilarious this article is on the same print page as the one about Facebook allegedly ruining everything. It's the fake hippies/environmentalists who've prevented any substantial new housing being built in the last 30 years who are really to blame!

If the Almanac actually cared about news, every time someone said "I'm a (long ago, possibly failed) Planning Commissioner slash City Councillor who's lived in Menlo Park for 20 years", you'd report the public data on how much they paid for their property, how many hundreds of percent it's appreciated **while also offering them a place to live**, and then also how much of a public subsidy Pro 13 gives them on taxes". A real public benefit would be capturing some of that value!

How about capturing some of the assessed value of the San Mateo County Community College District housing for faculty and staff, which breezed through their EIR's? Web Link Here's their tax bill for 1 Olive Court: Web Link
If those were sold on the open market they would probably fetch $800K each times 60 units is $48 Million dollars which should be on the assessment rolls.

Other school districts are considering similar housing. These housing subsidies don't show up in faculty and staff compensation.

On March 10, 2016, the MPCSD presented the 2015/2016 Second Interim Budget. This budget was announced prior to the May special mail in ballot for Measures A and C parcel taxes. In that budget, the CBOO estimated a 5% increase in parcel tax revenue (prior year actual increase was 9%) for 2016/2017 and a 3% parcel tax revenue increase for 2017/2018.

Subsequent to the failure of Measures A and C, the San Mateo County Assessors office projected an increase of assessed property tax values of 6.24% (more than double the budget announced prior to the May vote) and now we learn, assessed property values are up 12.5%.

At the June 13, 2016 MPCSD board meeting, the Board approved the 2016/2017 budget and also approved a further 2.70% CPI increase on all existing parcel taxes.

So regardless of whether or not Measures A and C passed, the District still has a means by which they can grow their revenue without having to get taxpayer approval.

There is a major disconnect if the MPCSD keeps saying they are broke and they need more money when the facts show the revenues have increased substantially. Looks like the public should have greater involvement and engagement in the budget.

OH, but what about the Village Character? How will we preserve our thatched roofs, muddy roads rutted by oxen carts, and the congenial 'howdy neighbor' we all exchange in the Village square dancing hall? How to do that when we're all now the 1% because of those pesky property prices?

Let's all grow up and become a real town, with a real downtown, housing that spans all social strata, businesses that flourish, and some investment in infrastructure rather than just complaining about it and adding to the City staff. We need to start building now that we're the fanciest community in the lower 48!

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