Palo Alto Community Safety/Services Measure
The Community Safety/Services Measure would increase the City’s sales tax by a ½ cent (0.50%), providing approximately $15.6M annually in revenue to invest in the community’s vision to create a vibrant, beloved, and adaptable destination that promotes learning, interconnectivity, joy and wellbeing where all cultures and generations belong at the Cubberley Community Center Campus.
In June 2026, the City Council unanimously placed a ½ cent (0.50%) Sales Tax (Transactions and Use Tax) Measure on the November 3, 2026 Ballot. Council-adopted spending guidelines support improving the Cubberley Community Center, noting that the City is ready to revitalize the Cubberley Community Center beginning with the purchase of the seven acres of real property currently owned by Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). With ownership of the developed area under the City’s full control, implementation of the community’s vision for the site detailed in the Cubberley Conceptual Master Plan can begin.
The State of California has a 2% cap on local sales tax and within this cap, the City has capacity for a ¼ cent (0.25%) voter approved local sales tax. Proposed state legislation (Senate Bill 762) is advancing for consideration to increase the local sales tax cap by a ½ cent (0.50%). The City will know by early August 2026 if SB 762 has passed. If confirmed, the City will have capacity for ½ cent (0.50%) sales tax.
Background & Spending Guidelines
The City of Palo Alto is advancing a plan to redevelop a 15-acre portion of Cubberley, building on extensive foundational work, community engagement, re-engaging residents to reimagine and prioritize community uses of the campus, and several actions by the City Council such as the adoption of a Conceptual Master Plan solidifying a vision for the future of Cubberley in phases, should funding become available. The City and PAUSD have a memorandum of understanding that would enable the City to purchase seven acres to support a reimagined community center and fund school improvements. The City currently owns eight acres at the Cubberley site; acquiring an additional seven acres would create an opportunity to update the aging facility for the benefit of the community.
The Council plans to allocate the proceeds from the sales tax revenue to purchase the seven acres and implement part of Phase 1 of the Cubberley Conceptual Master Plan to modernize the aging buildings, grow the amount of green space for outdoor enjoyment, invest in local public spaces that provide recreation and culture, and prevent Cubberley from becoming even further obsolete.
The City plans to also use other funding sources, including investments from community partnerships, philanthropy, and fees from new development, to leverage this new revenue. The Cubberley Community Center will realize its potential as a space that serves the entire City in conjunction with the City’s other community spaces at Mitchell Park, Lucie Stern, and the Bryant Street Community Center.
Learn about the Cubberley Campus Conceptual Master Plan.(PDF, 271KB)
City Commitment – Council Adopted Spending Guidelines
If approved by voters, the resulting revenue would accrue to the City’s General Fund and would be available to support general City services. This includes land acquisition and renovations at the Cubberley site as appropriated by the City Council through Council-adopted spending guidelines.
Historically, the City Council has successfully honored similar statements setting advisory spending guidelines with respect to the change in the Transient Occupancy Tax rate (TOT, or hotel tax) and with the establishment of the Business Tax.
- Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel tax): All proceeds from a rate change approved in 2014 and another in 2018 were intended and used for investment and completion of the City Council 2014 approved Infrastructure Plan. TOT receipts have funded major projects such as the new Public Safety Building, Bike & Pedestrian Plan, and the new parking garage in the California Avenue district.
- Business Tax: Revenue proceeds are being used for transportation and safe train crossings, housing affordability and services for the unhoused, and public safety priorities.
View City Council June 8 Meeting Materials.
2026 Election Steps & Timeline
- August 7 - November 2026 Ballot measure due to the Registrar of Voters
- August 11 - Arguments Due
- August 18 - Rebuttal Arguments Due
- August 18 - Impartial Analysis Due
- November 3 - Election Day
Palo Alto Election Information - Frequently Asked Questions
When is the City of Palo Alto Municipal Election this fall?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Have changes been made to the voting process in California?
Every registered voter in Palo Alto will receive a vote-by-mail ballot from the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters in the mail. Ballots will be sent no later than October 10. All vote-by-mail ballots come with a pre-paid postage return envelope. If your ballot is postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than seven (7) days following the election, county officials will process and count it. The last day to register to vote is October 24. Same Day Voter Registration, known as Conditional Voter Registration, permits eligible citizens to register or re-register to vote on Election Day at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, any polling place, or vote center.
Secure Ballot Drop Boxes will be located throughout Palo Alto and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week starting October 10 until polls close at 8 p.m. Election Day. The County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters website shares more about vote-by-mail, early voting, and secure Ballot Drop Boxes.
What is on the Palo Alto Municipal Election ballot this fall?
Three (3) of the seven (7) City Council seats are up for election in 2026. In addition, the Community Safety/Services Measure proposes an increase the City’s sales tax by a ½ cent (0.50%). The measure, if approved by voters, would generate approximately $15.6 million in revenue annually.
Where can I get more information on the fall 2026 Municipal Election?
For more municipal election information, visit www.paloalto.gov/elections.
How did the Community Safety/Services Measure get on the ballot?
The City Council placed the Community Safety/Services Measure on the ballot after public discussion and community engagement on the Cubberley Community Center Campus:
- Council Visioning Workshop on February 18, 2025
- 2025 Community Meetings on March 19, June 12, and September 17
- Discussions with City Council, the Cubberley Ad Hoc Committee, the Parks & Recreation Committee, the Planning and Transportation Commission, and the Architectural Review Board
- Four community polls between April 2025 to March 2026
What is the project at the Cubberley Community Center Campus?
The 35-acre Cubberley site, located at 4000 Middlefield Road, originally operated as Cubberley High School in 1956. Today, the City owns eight (8) acres of the site, where it provides classes and activities in arts, culture and athletics, and sub-leases additional space at City-subsidized rates to various non-profit and community-serving groups.
The City has an agreement with the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) to purchase an additional seven (7) acres of the site for $65.5 million and PAUSD will use the sale proceeds for improvements to schools. Remaining proceeds from the ½ cent sales tax would be used to repair, upgrade and redevelop the community center, creating a destination with activities, amenities, and offerings that promote learning, joy, and wellbeing where all cultures and generations belong.
Is State authorization needed to increase the sales tax by a ½ cent (0.50%)?
Yes. The State of California has a 2% cap on local sales tax and within this cap, the City has capacity for a ¼ cent (0.25%) voter approved local sales tax. Proposed state legislation (Senate Bill 762) is advancing for consideration to increase the local sales tax cap by a ½ cent (0.50%). The City will know by early August 2026 if SB 762 has passed. If confirmed, the City will have capacity for the ½ cent (0.50%) sales tax on the November ballot.