Belmont voters are deciding on a special tax this November election that will generate revenue to reconstruct the Barrett Community Center as an earthquake-resistant facility for emergency disaster relief while also serving as a recreation center with childcare and afterschool programs.
Measure Y would authorize a tax on the square footage of structures in the city, setting rates of 33 cents per square foot for dwelling units and 54 cents per square foot for all other types of properties. The tax would not apply to parcels exempt from taxation by law and dwellings inhabited by residents over the age of 65.
It’s estimated that the tax could bring in around $7.1 million annually, funding that will be allocated specifically toward construction and upgrades to the Barrett Community Center, a 75-year-old building that currently hosts programs like afterschool and recreation for youth.
The annual tax has no end date, and voters would have to return to the ballot to stop the tax. The Belmont City Council can also increase the tax rate by a percentage in accordance with regional inflation rates beginning in tax year 2028-29.
The measure was placed on the ballot through a citizen-led signature-gathering initiative. Proponents say that repairs to the center are long overdue and that the city needs a dedicated space to serve as an evacuation refuge in case of a natural disaster, according to a joint ballot argument submitted by several Belmont residents in favor of the measure.
“We have no reliable place to go when disaster strikes,” the argument reads. “Barrett Community Center’s roofs leak, its systems fail, and it doesn’t meet today’s earthquake, fire, or accessibility standards.”
The money would not only support its reconstruction but also the center’s operating costs like staffing, maintenance repairs and expanding the center’s programs.
A joint letter opposing the measure was submitted by the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association and former city officials like former mayors Pam Rianda and Coralin Feierbach.
The letter criticizes the tax for having no end date and no specific, detailed plan for spending appropriations.
“Measure Y offers no concrete plan — and no end,” the argument reads. “A tax this gigantic needs a transparent plan with specific deliverables, costs and timelines.”
The measure requires approval from a simple majority of voters in order to pass.
Registered voters can submit their ballots until Election Day on Nov. 3. A map of vote centers and ballot drop-off locations in Belmont and across the county is available on the San Mateo County elections website.
