What Should Change in Novato?
Novato residents deal with five separate taxing agencies, but none make it easy to understand how your money is spent or whether the services match the cost. If something frustrates you — or if you have an idea for how things should work differently — we want to hear it.
Every idea submitted here is reviewed by our research team. If it aligns with an issue we can address through a ballot initiative, we’ll develop it into a proposal and reach out to you privately.
Not sure where to start? Here are some topics other residents are thinking about:
• Should elected officials in Novato have term limits?
• Should the parcel tax be restructured to reflect property size?
• What infrastructure failures have you seen in your neighborhood?
• Are there services the city charges for that should work differently?
Your submission is confidential. We don’t publish names or share contact information.
What We’ve Heard So Far
These themes have come up from residents across Novato. We’re actively researching each one as a potential ballot initiative.
Term limits for local elected officials. Several elected positions in Novato — including city council and school board — have no term limits. Residents have raised questions about whether long tenure leads to accountability gaps.
Parcel tax restructuring. The NUSD parcel tax charges the same flat rate regardless of property size. Residents in smaller homes effectively pay the same as owners of large commercial parcels.
Deferred maintenance and infrastructure backlog. Novato has over $95 million in unfunded infrastructure needs. Residents want to know why this wasn’t addressed and how future spending will be prioritized.
Budget transparency across all five agencies. Many residents don’t know how much they’re paying in total across the city, school district, fire, water, and sanitary districts — or what they’re getting in return.
Have a different issue in mind? Submit it above.