San Mateo County cities East Palo Alto and Redwood City consider ballot initiatives

East Palo Alto residents have shown strong support for a proposed 12‑year term‑limit measure that would restrict City Council members to three four‑year terms with a two‑year break. A city poll found about 55% of respondents “definitely yes” and the mayor, Webster Lincoln, called the measure a “healthy guardrail.” The City Council approved placing the initiative on the November ballot with a 4‑1 vote, despite concerns it could divert attention from a separate bond measure for a new civic center.

In Redwood City, the council is set to decide whether to adopt an official position on a citizen‑led rent‑control and tenant‑protection measure also destined for the November ballot. The proposal would cap annual rent increases on pre‑1995 multifamily units and expand just‑cause eviction rules, with estimated administrative costs ranging from $5 million to $11 million per year. Council members voted unanimously to place the measure on the ballot, while individual members expressed opposition or fiscal concerns.