Measure L asks voters whether San Mateo County should update its charter to make climate change adaptation a priority.
If it passes by a simple majority vote, a new section would be added to the County Charter’s Preamble. It would state that cities in San Mateo County will prioritize working together to prepare and respond to extreme weather.
According to the San Mateo County Sustainability Department, the county is already experiencing the local effects of climate change like coastal erosion, flooding from sea level rise, landslides, heatwaves, heavy precipitation, drought, and more frequent and intense wildfires.
The language of the measure was drafted in April 2026 by members of the Charter Review Committee. That committee is made up of citizens from the county who applied or were appointed by their supervisor to review and amend the County Charter. For context — charter review is required at least once every eight years.
In May, after the committee drafted the language, the County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to get it on the ballot.
While it doesn’t have direct legal or financial implications, proponents on the Charter Review committee hope Measure L will bring more public awareness to climate change and increase local urgency around environmental action.
There’s no organized support or opposition for this ballot measure.
Measure L will be voted on alongside three other San Mateo County Charter amendments this election season.
So, to recap: A “yes” vote on Measure L supports amending the San Mateo County Charter to make long-term resilience to extreme weather events a priority.
If you vote no, you vote for keeping long-term climate resilience language out of the County Charter.
