Atherton Council Hears Briefing on SB 63 Regional Transit Measure; Takes No Action

Mayor Lewis convened a special meeting of the Town of Atherton City Council on July 24 to gather council input before the City/County Association of Governments (CCAG) votes July 30 on whether San Mateo County should opt into SB 63, a proposed regional sales-tax measure intended to address operating deficits at Caltrain and BART.

Why it matters: SB 63 would allow a regional sales tax (options discussed included a quarter-cent or half-cent increase) to provide multi‑year operating support for major Bay Area rail operators and other transit services. Council members expressed concern about tax increases, local return-to-source, and how funds would be governed and audited; the council did not take formal action and left the CCAG vote to the town's CCAG representative.

Sean, a CCAG staff representative, described the measure as "a regional measure, and it is contemplating a regional sales tax to address impending service cuts or perhaps operating deficits at the major rail carriers" and said the draft legislation remains incomplete. He said the statute currently includes Alameda, Contra Costa and San…