Protect Essential VLF Funding and Stand with San Mateo County!

Protect Essential VLF Funding in San Mateo County

SAMCEDA is supporting the County of San Mateo and every city and town in the county to raise awareness and support for the County’s efforts to work with Governor Newsom and our Legislators to solve a failed funding mechanism related to Vehicle License Fees (VLF) created in 2004 which now no longer works for our county and the 20 cities and towns.

While 55 counties receive the full vehicle license fee funding they are owed, San Mateo County continues to be shortchanged — leaving more than $119 million in local revenue at risk this year alone. When combined with funding the state still owes from the previous fiscal year, the total obligation now exceeds $157 million owed to San Mateo County cities and the county itself. 

VLF Shortfall: What This Means for Your Local Government

For the cities our organizations serve, that VLF shortfall is not an abstract accounting issue. It threatens the services that communities rely on every day.

This funding supports essential local services that residents, businesses, commuters, visitors, and families rely on every day. Without this funding and a permanent solution, our communities face real and immediate risk to vital public services:

  • Housing & Homelessness
    • Nearly 3,000 people could lose shelter access
    • 5,500+ households at risk of losing rental assistance increasing risk of homelessness
  • Health & Public Safety
    • Cuts to mental health care, crisis response and wildfire prevention. 
    • Fewer nurses, police officers, firefighters, and emergency responders
  • Children & Families
    • 7,400 children could lose access to early literacy programs.
  • Core Local Services
    • Reductions to libraries, parks, youth and seniors programs
    • Delayed road repairs and infrastructure maintenance causing higher long-term costs

The image above is a chart for every city, and in most cases, if this revenue is not restored by the State, the cities we serve will be forced to look at new taxes – including raising taxes targeting businesses.

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To learn more about the County of San Mateo's 
VLF funding efforts, please click here.
 

Stand with San Mateo County at the Upcoming VLF Press Conference


Show state leaders that our community is united in protecting essential funding!

Join San Mateo County leaders—including elected officials, public safety representatives, nonprofits, and business leaders—to highlight the real impacts of the VLF funding shortfall and support a lasting fix.

Stand with San Mateo County by attending an upcoming in-person press conference to show broad support.

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To register for the County of San Mateo's in-person event, please click here.
(Learn more about the County of San Mateo's VLF funding efforts by visiting the Fair Funding for San Mateo County’s Communities website)