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City of San Mateo Ballot Propositions
Dane Hutchings, CEO + Founder
Claire Sullivan, Associate Lobbyist
Updated as of 09/18/26
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Ballot Propositions 2026
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Ballot Measures in Review
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Legislative Engagement
Available Positions for Ballot Measure Engagement
• Support
• Oppose
• Watch (Internal)
Position recommendations are based on the Council approved legislative platform. Any legislative position that falls outside of the Platform must be taken to Council for consideration.
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General Overview
14 Measures Qualified
• Six (6) of these measures, if approved, have financial and policy impacts on local governments in the following areas: voter-proposed special taxes, voter identification in elections, public campaign financing, permit streamlining for “essential projects,” and two housing bond proposals.
• Five (5) measures focus on state revenue and budgeting issues, with potentially major policy outcomes, including with Prop. 40, the “Billionaire’s Tax.” • Three (3) address a spectrum of other policy issues: the process for recalling state officers, a $8.4 billion immunology research bond, and expenditure thresholds for federally qualified health centers.
Implementation timing varies depending on constitutional rules, statute, measure text, and any urgency or transitional provisions written into a measure.
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Prop 45
Proposition 45 (Environmental review / CEQA).
Sets binding CEQA timelines (for example, 365 business days for an EIR), limits the scope of review to laws in effect when an application is submitted, reduces the alternatives analysis, and caps public comment periods, for an optional streamlined track covering housing, transportation, water infrastructure, energy, and healthcare projects. San Mateo acts as a CEQA lead agency, so this touches your land use, water, transportation, and housing work all at once. The LAO flags significant upfront local costs to develop new guidelines and meet the tighter deadlines. Note this measure is subject to court-ordered changes.
Supported by California Chamber of Commerce (the sponsor), California Building Industry Association, California Council for Affordable Housing, California Hydrogen Coalition and California Wind Energy Association; opposed by Sierra Club California, Communities for a Better Environment, Western Center on Law and Poverty, and the democratic Party.
Platform Statement: Oppose legislation that restricts local authority over transportation permitting, utility relocation, or dispute resolution by imposing rigid state timelines or bypassing local planning, environmental review, or decision-making.
Review and evaluate legislation that would increase housing production ministerially, ensuring adequate opportunities for community engagement and City Council oversight.
Recommendation: Discuss
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Prop 43
Proposition 43 (Local special tax threshold).
Prop 43 would raise the approval threshold for citizen-initiated local special taxes from a simple majority to two-thirds, eliminating the lower threshold that recent court decisions had allowed for voter-proposed measures. For a city like San Mateo, this makes it substantially harder to pass parcel taxes or other dedicated local revenue measures put forward by voters, and the LAO notes it could reduce future local government tax revenues.
Supported by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Reform California, and the Southern California News Group editorial board; opposed by the California Democratic Party and SEIU Local 1000.
Platform Statement: Oppose legislation and ballot measures that threaten the City’s financial stability, responsibilities, legal authority, or operations; conflict with existing City policies, prior actions, or current City Council strategic priorities; or diminish programs, services, or infrastructure serving the San Mateo community.
Recommendation: Oppose
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Prop 1
Proposition 1 (Housing bond).
Authorizes $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds, including $10 billion for housing programs. Cities, nonprofits, and developers apply for the grants and low-cost loans, so it is a direct funding pipeline for San Mateo's affordable housing goals. Components include $7.2 billion for multifamily rental housing, $1.1 billion for homeownership assistance, $500 million for housing-supportive infrastructure, and $200 million for local pilot projects.
Supported by Governor Newsom, the California Democratic Party, California Apartment Association, the California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO), and a coalition of big-city mayors; opposed by some Republican legislators and fiscalconservative groups.
Platform Statement: Support legislation and ballot measures that provide additional or enhanced funding mechanisms to construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate, or replace public infrastructure; develop affordable and permanent supportive housing; or acquire or lease property for those purposes.
Recommendation: Support
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Prop 37
Proposition 37 (Middle-income homebuyer loans).
Proposition 37 authorizes up to $25 billion in CalHFA revenue bonds to provide down payment assistance, up to 17 percent of the purchase price, for middle-income buyers of newly constructed homes, repaid by the buyers themselves at no direct cost to cities. By expanding the pool of qualified buyers for new for-sale homes, the measure targets the missing middle of households that earn too much for subsidized affordable housing but cannot afford market prices in high-cost areas like San Mateo. It channels demand specifically toward new construction, which can improve the feasibility of ownership projects and support the kind of entry-level, missing-middle housing the region most needs to add.
Sponsored by former state senator Bob Hertzberg; backed by the California Association of Realtors, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Democratic figures including Xavier Becerra; no formal opposition, though California Budget and Policy Center have raised questions about whether it will improve affordability.
Platform Statement: Support legislation that expands affordable homeownership opportunities to foster economic mobility.
Support incentives for housing production across all income levels— market rate, middle, low, very low, and extremely low— while maintaining local land use authority.
Recommendation: Support
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Prop 40
Proposition 40 (Billionaire Tax).
Prop 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of Californians who were billionaires as of January 1, 2026 (roughly 200 taxpayers); payable in 2027, with an option to spread payments over five years. Revenue is large but uncertain, estimated in the tens of billions; 90% is directed to public health care (including Medi-Cal), with the remainder to food assistance and education.
Prop 40 was placed on the ballot by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West; drafted with tax-law and economics scholars. Key wrinkle: if Prop 41 or Prop 42 receives more yes votes, Prop 40 is nullified even if it passes. Prop 40 funds would not flow to city budgets, but the health care earmark is significant for county safety-net and public health systems.
Supported by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (sponsor), California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, California Nurses Association, Teamsters California, AFSCME California, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders; Reps. Ro Khanna, Judy Chu, Maxine Waters; State Superintendent Tony Thurmond; Opposed by Governor Gavin Newsom (called it "really damaging to the state"), California Chamber of Commerce, California Business Roundtable, California Medical Association, Notably, several usually-progressive groups: California Teachers Association, Planned Parenthood affiliates, California Professional Firefighters, and the State Building and Construction Trades, Platform Statement: Support programs and funding initiatives that expand access to mental health services for all residents, particularly children, youth, and seniors.
Recommendation: Discuss
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Questions / Thank You!
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