East Palo Alto's first-ever general obligation bond measure appeared headed for passage Tuesday night, with Measure O pulling in 73.8% of the vote and 1,179 total ballots counted as of 9:30 p.m. The $125 million bond would help fund a new city hall, a police headquarters and a larger library for a city that has spent decades operating out of temporary and borrowed buildings.
The reported results may still fluctuate as more ballots are counted, according to Palo Alto Online, which reported the Tuesday evening tally. Measure O needed support from 66.6% of local voters to pass, a threshold the measure cleared comfortably in the initial count, per the same report.
Decades of Makeshift City Buildings
The stakes behind the vote trace back to East Palo Alto's physical infrastructure, much of which residents and officials describe as outdated or improvised. The city's library is a single-room, county-owned facility that has not been updated in 40 years, while the police department has operated out of what the report called decrepit portable buildings for 20 years, despite their status being described as temporary. The city council itself currently rents a county-owned building just to hold public meetings, the newspaper's reporting notes.
If Measure O's passage holds, the project would include a library three times the size of the current one, along with a police and emergency response center. Plans also call for a multi-use athletic field intended to give local youth and athletes a place to play closer to home, after years of having to travel outside the city for practices and games, and for improvements to the city's drinking water infrastructure.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity, Vice Mayor Says
East Palo Alto Vice Mayor Ruben Abrica said passing the bond matters for the city's next chapter, calling the broader project a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leverage outside donations toward the city's first civic center plaza, per the same account. Local donors have already contributed more than $50 million in land and cash toward the effort, and East Palo Alto has set aside $20 million of its own general fund, according to the report.
The full project is estimated to cost more than $200 million, with the $125 million bond covering a significant share of that total. City Manager Melvin Gaines said the measure reflects what residents have told the city they want: safe drinking water, a modern public library, safe spaces for youth and infrastructure that actually meets community needs. Gaines added that Measure O ultimately puts the decision about investing in the community's future in voters' hands.
What Residents Would Pay, and When
According to the League of Women Voters voter guide, the city estimates an average annual tax rate of $105.26 per $100,000 of assessed property value, with the highest required rate estimated at approximately $114.41 per $100,000. If approved, the tax would likely begin in fiscal year 2028-29.
Not every resident has embraced the plan. Palo Alto Online's reporting describes apprehension among some residents about the added tax burden, along with confusion over what individual property owners would actually owe. Others urged the city to direct more of the funding specifically toward water infrastructure rather than spreading it across civic buildings and recreation space. Even so, city council members, staff and other residents have expressed ongoing support for the measure, the outlet reported.
Next Steps If the Bond Holds
East Palo Alto city staff hope to begin construction around summer 2027, assuming the bond's passage holds, after finalizing plans, completing an environmental review and securing permits, the outlet reported. The city council voted unanimously on July 21 to place the general obligation bond measure on the November ballot, according to the City of East Palo Alto, which said residents had consistently emphasized clean drinking water, aging infrastructure, safe places for youth and modern community facilities as priorities during public input.
East Palo Alto, founded in 1983 and often described as the youngest city in the region, has long lacked permanent, updated infrastructure for basic city services. Nearby, the Ravenswood City School District's Measure A passed with 70% of the vote, 2,446 to 1,051, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post, which also noted that East Palo Alto voters had previously approved a residential rental business tax in 2022 and a commercial office parcel tax in 2018, though neither of those measures involved a general obligation bond.
