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Sunnyvale study session explores taxes, parcel levies and bonds to close funding gap for infrastructure and services
Summary
Finance director presented a menu of revenue options — from a real‑property transfer tax and transient occupancy tax to a dedicated stormwater fee and a general‑obligation bond — and council members debated which measures to pursue and the timing of voter ballots.
Sunnyvale’s finance director outlined a broad menu of local revenue options at a Sept. 9 study session as council members weighed how to fund aging infrastructure, increasing service demands and rising regulatory costs.
“There's some examples there. The fire stations, courtyard, and main library are 3 of the biggest ones,” Finance Director Matt Paul said, describing capital needs in the city’s portfolio. Paul told council the city faces substantial long‑term needs ranging from traffic‑signal replacement (staff estimated costs on the order of $100 million to replace signals citywide over time) to multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar grade separations.
Paul presented the range of local options staff has evaluated: business license and utility fees, development impact and franchise fees, user fees, a real‑property transfer tax (RPTT), transient‑occupancy tax (TOT), additional sales tax, parcel taxes, assessment districts and…
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