Measure N: Measure N – Town of Portola Valley: Town Charter and Property Transfer Tax Measure
Town of Portola Valley · San Mateo County · November 3, 2026
The question on your ballot
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?
In plain language
Measure N is a measure about keeping Portola Valley an independent town. It would adopt a charter for the Town of Portola Valley. It would also create a real property transfer tax of $10 per $1,000, paid by the buyers or sellers of property. The tax would last until voters end it. The ballot question says the money would pay for wildfire prevention, 911 response and police patrols, zoning and planning, storm drain repair, and general town services. There would be independent oversight. A YES vote adopts the charter and the tax. A NO vote means the charter and the tax are not adopted.
Fiscal impact
The transfer tax would be $10 per $1,000, and it would be paid by either the buyers or the sellers of property. It would provide approximately $2,000,000 a year until voters end it.
Official ballot arguments
Filed for the official voter guide by each side, printed as submitted.
The official arguments will appear here once both sides’ arguments are on file.
What supporters and opponents say — outside sources (not official ballot arguments)
Statements by campaigns, officials and news coverage, quoted with attribution and linked to the original. VoterDecoder did not write them and does not endorse either side.
Supporters say
“The League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County SUPPORTS the proposed measure that would allow Portola Valley to become a Charter Town and establish a Real Property Transfer Tax.”
— League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County, League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County (2026) · Measure N - Portola Valley positionRead the source →“The community has made it clear that Portola Valley's financial stability and local control matter,”
— Darcy Smith, Town Manager, The Almanac (2026) · Portola Valley puts tax, charter town measure on November ballotRead the source →
Opponents say
“there are better, fairer alternatives for additional revenue, expense management and an imperative to explore them.”
— William Urban, member of Portola Valley Finance Committee (leads argument against), The Almanac (2026) · Measure N asks voters to make Portola Valley a charter townRead the source →