Welcome!
My name is Mark Olbert, and I’m a former member of the San Carlos, California City Council. This was my site for staying in touch with my constituents. My last day on the Council was December 14, 2020.
It’s now a platform I use to address local and regional issues that my neighbors may find interesting.
Here you’ll find my blog, links to articles about municipal issues, and material that will help you understand my Council work and my current views. All these can be accessed through the menu links at the top of every page.
If you’d like to be automatically notified when new content is added to this site just click the Subscribe button at the top of any page. If you’re already a subscriber you can use the Subscribe button to edit your subscription options.
Enjoy! And if you have a moment, drop me a line to let me know what’s on your mind.
The High Cost of Free Parking
After writing this I was asked how much money is in the Parking In-Lieu fund. The answer is $172,713 as of 6/30/2019 (I doubt it’s
State Density Bonuses
I’m writing this post based on community discussion occurring around the 626 Walnut Street condominium project. As far as I can recall this is the
Allocating Property Taxes
Ever since I became an elected official I’ve been asked why we can’t reallocate our property taxes among the various public agencies they fund to
Mayors and General Law Cities
Recently there was a VOCA poll that asked people from San Carlos how the mayor should be chosen. Three options were offered: Rotated among council
Closing Remarks as Chair of the Council
These are the remarks I delivered on December 9, 2019 as I was wrapping up my year as chair of the Council (aka mayor). This
Another Banner Year
The city typically has two big financial events annually. The first, and the one that gets the most attention, is in the Spring when the