Mill Valley’s City Council has put a measure on the November ballot to extend a long-running municipal services tax. If two-thirds of voters say yes, the $276 annual bill would stick around for another decade.
This plan would keep about $2 million each year flowing into street maintenance for Mill Valley and nearby Marin communities like Sausalito, Tiburon, San Rafael, Larkspur, Corte Madera, and San Anselmo.
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What the Mill Valley measure would fund and why it’s on the ballot
The municipal services tax (MST) started about 40 years ago, focused on roads and vegetation. Voters have renewed it every ten years.
In the last several years, it’s become essential for repaving as the city tries to catch up on aging streets. The last renewal in 2016 added a 2% annual inflation bump, and this extension would keep it going for another ten years if voters approve.
A citizen committee last fall said Mill Valley’s pavement condition index (PCI) jumped from 58 in 2014 to about 83 now. Still, about 20% of city roads are in rough shape, and those are the most expensive to fix.
The panel estimated it’ll take about $27 million to get every road up to par—$22 million for the worst spots, $5 million for the rest.
Once the worst roads get repaved, the city can maintain them a lot cheaper with resurfacing. Resurfacing costs about $7.80 per square yard, while repaving can shoot past $250 per square yard.
City Manager Todd Cusimano pointed out that Mill Valley uses county transit funds and state gas taxes for road work. There’s also a big project on the horizon: PG&E plans to bury power lines along 16 miles of city streets in 2027, which means more repaving will happen then too.
- Annual funding: MST brings in about $2 million per year for roads and vegetation in Mill Valley and nearby towns.
- PCI progress: Up from 58 (2014) to around 83 now, but 20% of roads still need help.
- Cost to complete all repairs: About $27 million total, with the worst sections costing ~$22 million.
- Long-term savings: After repaving, future upkeep is much cheaper with resurfacing instead of full repaving.
Next steps and what’s at stake on Nov. 3
Voters in Mill Valley—and folks in Marin’s other towns who use these roads—will decide if the MST keeps going another decade. The extension needs a two-thirds majority.
If it passes, the money keeps flowing for major repaving projects in Mill Valley and neighboring communities like San Rafael, Larkspur, Corte Madera, and San Anselmo.
The broader Marin County context: PCI, costs and cross-town benefits
Mill Valley’s not the only place dealing with these road issues. In Marin County, towns like Tiburon, Sausalito, Fairfax, and Ross all have to balance state and local funding for repairs.
The PCI score helps everyone figure out which roads need attention first. The big idea is simple: fix the worst areas now, then use cheaper resurfacing to keep things in shape.
PG&E’s 2027 project to bury power lines will also mean fresh pavement along major streets in Mill Valley and nearby towns. That could help cut down on future roadwork headaches.
For folks in Corte Madera, Larkspur, or San Rafael, the MST extension could ease pressure on street budgets. City managers across Marin are always juggling street repairs with other needs—like parks or flood control.
Honestly, waiting to fix roads usually just makes the bill bigger later on. Timely repaving saves money and keeps maintenance budgets from spiraling in towns like Fairfax and San Anselmo.
What residents should know going into the election
This measure is a long-term investment in the core streets that connect Marin’s communities. Think about the routes from Mill Valley’s Strawberry neighborhoods to the downtowns of San Rafael and Larkspur—those are the roads in question.
It’s also a test: will the community support a pay-as-you-go funding model for maintenance? So far, that approach has actually improved PCI scores, but it still relies on a bigger web of county and statewide funding to really make it work alongside the MST.
- Ballot timing: The extension starts only if voters approve it in November.
- Regional impact: Funds from this measure would back roadwork in several Marin towns. The idea is to keep things in step with the county’s bigger transit and transportation plans.
- Long-term outlook: If PCI stays high, we can probably avoid costly, disruptive overhauls down the road. That’s especially important as infrastructure ages and energy projects keep shifting timelines.
Here is the source article for this story: Mill Valley approves road tax pitch for ballot
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