Free Republic

Two pieces of prime coastal real estate will be maintained as open space if they are purchased by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, a public agency with the goal of preventing development on scenic lands rich in wildlife and farming history. The district is likely to approve the purchase of two rural properties in the San Mateo County foothills at a meeting Wednesday in Half Moon Bay. The lands — the sprawling Bluebrush Canyon property and the smaller Roberts property — make up nearly 300 acres of forest, creeks and wild grassland. They currently are owned by the Peninsula...

As Property Values Plunge, Tax Bills Might Not Follow By Ashley Halsey III Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 26, 2008; B01 Homeowners whose property values have plummeted as much as 40 percent are unlikely to see a corresponding drop in their real estate taxes next year, and some might face a tax increase as the counties surrounding the District struggle with huge budget shortfalls. Nearly every county in the region is deep in red ink, with some of the most populous jurisdictions looking at overwhelming budget gaps: Fairfax County faces a $650 million shortfall; Montgomery County, $450 million; and...