Marin IJ: Mill Valley Officials Push for Services Tax Extension

Mill Valley is asking voters to extend a $300 annual parcel tax to finish repaving streets and trim vegetation for fire prevention.

Measure T on the Nov. 3 ballot would extend the city’s municipal services tax for a decade. It requires a two-thirds approval majority to pass.

“For almost 40 years, Mill Valley’s municipal services tax has provided the community with a dedicated, locally controlled source of funding for essential services and infrastructure not fully supported by the city’s general fund,” Mayor Max Perrey said. “Renewing this revenue source will maintain that funding for another 10 years, providing approximately $1.9 million annually for street maintenance and wildfire risk reduction. Without renewal, that dedicated revenue source would expire.”

City Manager Todd Cusimano said the tax, which was renewed in 2016 with a 77% majority, allowed the city to make long-term investments in upgrading its 60 miles of paved roads and fire prevention.

“One visible measure of that investment is the condition of our streets,” he said. “Mill Valley’s pavement condition index has improved significantly in recent years, and renewal would allow us to continue protecting those investments while addressing aging pavement, maintaining emergency access routes and managing vegetation.”

Councilmember Urban Carmel said the extension is a modest fiscal request that would provide “a predictable, consistent source of revenue.”

“The single-family residential rate would remain $303 per parcel with the existing annual inflator of 2%,” he said. “The measure before voters in November would have a defined 10-year term. The proposed renewal maintains the existing funding structure … rather than establishing a new tax program.”

The municipal services tax helps the city plan ahead rather than waiting for roads to deteriorate and become more expensive, Vice Mayor Caroline Joachim said.

“That reliable funding supports proactive efforts such as maintaining streets and drainage infrastructure, managing vegetation and wildfire-related risks, identifying and addressing hazards before they worsen and preserving city assets before repairs become more costly,” she said. “In that way, the MST helps Mill Valley use public resources strategically, reducing reliance on one-time funding and allowing the city to address needs before they become more serious.”

Councilmember Katherine Jones said the tax also allows Mill Valley to step up its wildfire preparedness.

“Our city’s emergency planning efforts recognize wildfire as a hazard with potentially severe consequences,” she said. “The MST helps us address those risks before an emergency occurs by funding the removal of brush and vegetation, creating fire breaks and supporting chipper programs across more than 100 streets citywide.”

“The MST complements the broader work underway through our fire agencies and the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority,” Councilmember Stephen Burke said. “It is one part of a much larger regional effort to make Mill Valley more resilient.”

The county elections office received no ballot argument against Measure T.