City of Palo Alto

To reduce traffic congestion and travel time for transit riders, shall the measure undedicating a 0.33-acre portion of existing parkland in El Camino Park for the purpose of creating a new road primarily for transit vehicles linking the Palo Alto Transit Center with El Camino Real, be adopted?

Shall the measure to raise funds for public safety, affordable housing, rail crossing safety, homeless services, and general city services, by levying a tax on businesses in the City of Palo Alto at a monthly rate of 7.5 cents per square foot occupied by a business, up to $500,000 per business, with annual 2.5% adjustments for inflation and exemptions for grocery stores and businesses under 10,000 square feet, raising approximately $9.6 million annually for 35 years, be adopted?

Shall the measure affirming the City of Palo Alto’s existing and decades-old practice of annually transferring no more than 18% of the gross revenues from the City’s natural gas utility (generated by the City’s retail natural gas rates) to its general fund to support general city services such as roads; parks; libraries; climate change reduction; police, fire, emergency medical, and 9-1-1 response; providing approximately $7 million annually in existing revenues until ended by voters, be adopted?

To provide funding for vital City services such as ensuring modern, stable 911 emergency communications, earthquake safe fire stations and emergency command center; improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety; ensuring safe routes to schools; maintaining City streets and sidewalks; and other city services, shall the City of Palo Alto adopt an ordinance increasing the transient occupancy tax paid by hotel, motel, short-term rental guests by 1.5%, providing approximately $2.55 million annually until ended by voters, subject to annual audits?

Shall the Palo Alto Municipal Code be amended to regulate and limit the amount that hospitals, medical clinics and other health care providers in Palo Alto may charge patients or other individuals, primary insurers, secondary insurers, and other payers, excluding government payers?

To provide funding that cannot be taken away by the State for general fund infrastructure and City services such as earthquake safe fire stations; pedestrian and bike improvements including safe routes to school, streets, sidewalks, paths, and bridges; and maintaining parks and recreation facilities, shall the City increase the hotel/motel tax by two percent and update language to confirm equal treatment of traditional and online bookings?

To ensure continued funding for basic and essential services such as police, fire and street maintenance and repair, shall the City of Palo Alto maintain the telecommunications portion of the Utility Users Tax while reducing the rate from 5% to 4.75%; modernize its provisions to ensure equal treatment of taxpayers regardless of telecommunications technology used; and eliminate a discounted tax rate paid by a small number of commercial large users of gas, electric and water services?

Shall the Palo Alto City Charter be amended to change the number of Council Member seats from nine to seven, commencing on January 1, 2019?

Shall the Palo Alto Municipal Code be amended to rezone the property located at 567-595 Maybell Avenue from R-2 Low Density Residential and RM-15 Multiple Family Residential to Planned Community Overlay Zone to include 12 single family units and 60 units of affordable senior housing?

Shall the Palo Alto Municipal Code be amended to permit three medical marijuana dispensaries to operate in Palo Alto in any commercial or industrial zone subject to prescribed zoning criteria?