San Mateo ups stormwater fee

Over the past fiscal year, which ends this month, the fees generated about $3.9 million, slightly lower than the originally projected $4.05 million.

“This is because of some data discrepancies in the information sent to the county,” Engineering Manager Jimmy Vo said during a City Council meeting June 16. “A few parcels, about 20 to 30, have higher rates than they should have. We corrected those refunded amounts to homeowners and made those changes moving forward.”

For the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, the city anticipates generating $4 million in revenue, with a 2.4% rate increase for property owners. Residential parcels under one-quarter of an acre will pay between $5.68 to $10.16 per month. Commercial and industrial properties will pay about $84 to $103 per month.

The funds are meant to go toward a number of initiatives, including adding and expanding stormwater pipelines, conducting pump station upgrades and storm drain assessment, as well as San Mateo Creek and Marina Lagoon dredging.

But even with the monthly stormwater fee, Vo said there are still funding gaps.

“We’re looking at a very large [capital improvement project]. Even looking at our old master plan in 2004, it was already a number that escalated closer to $80 [million] to $100 million,” Vo said. “We’re also looking at support from grants as well, so we’re looking at all different fronts to make sure the funding is there when the projects start rolling.”

The urgency to pass a ballot measure picked up a couple years ago after severe weather laid bare the inadequacy of current systems and maintenance processes. Citizen-led initiatives such as Flood Free San Mateo advocated for the initiative — led by current Councilmember Danielle Cwirko-Godycki — stating it was a critical long-term investment to prevent water damage and flooding to a large swath of the community.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the monthly increase.