San Mateo voters pass stormwater fee

San Mateo property owners voted in favor of the Community Flood and Stormwater Protection Initiative, which will enact a monthly fee meant to provide a dedicated source of funding to bolster the city’s stormwater infrastructure.

About 52% of voters supported the measure and 48% voted against it, with 10,032 votes cast in total. Almost 27,000 property owners received mail-in ballots starting in early November and were able to cast one vote per parcel of land owned.

While upgrading stormwater infrastructure is not a new topic of discussion, conversations picked up after last winter’s 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, claiming it is a critical long-term investment to prevent water damage and flooding to a large swath of the community.

Danielle Cwirko-Godycki, coalition leader for Flood Free San Mateo, said she is grateful San Mateo property owners ultimately voted in favor of the measure after last year’s storms.

“Measures of this nature are typically very close and often fail the first time around. We actually look at the result as a pretty big victory, considering that this was on the ballot for the very first time. And we are really happy with the partnership that developed between the community and the city of San Mateo. We look forward to partnering with the city in the future to ensure these funds are spent wisely on the highest impact projects,” she said in an email.

City staff have previously noted implementing a dedicated source of funding at the local level helps secure state and federal grants and additional funding, as it signals financial reliability and commitment at the local level.

But some opponents argued that while the city desperately needs better flood prevention infrastructure, with a strong general fund and approximately $71 million in rainy day reserves, it shouldn’t fall to property owners to foot the bill.

Property owners’ monthly fees will vary depending on the size of their parcel, with about $5 per month enacted for small properties and $11 for larger residential properties. The fees are expected to generate about $4 million annually, a little less than half of the projected amount needed each year for the necessary improvements.

The results will be presented to councilmembers on Jan. 16, all of whom had previously endorsed the measure. The fee would likely go into effect during the next fiscal year.