Homeowners in Tiburon's Paradise Cay neighborhood will vote Nov. 3 on Measure Z, which would raise their annual dredging parcel tax from $1,900 to $2,200.

The measure needs a two-thirds supermajority to pass. Only 274 registered voters live in the unincorporated enclave, formally known as County Service Area No. 29 (CSA 29).

If approved, the new rate would take effect July 1, 2027, and last 10 years, with annual increases of up to 3%, according to the Marin Independent Journal and the official ballot measure text from the Marin County Elections Department. The tax is estimated to collect $272,800 in its first year.

The revenue funds maintenance dredging in Paradise Cay's waterways and the north and south entry channels to San Francisco Bay. The neighborhood's dredging tax dates to 1992. Voters last renewed it in 2016, when 168 of 188 ballots cast, or 89.4%, approved the extension.

The current levy is set to expire June 30, 2027, according to the Board of Supervisors resolution and the Marin County Elections Department.

Eric Lyons, chair of the CSA 29 Advisory Board and a 30-year Paradise Cay resident, said the community typically dredges about every four years.

"The fact is that we're a relatively small job in terms of the amount of mud that needs to be moved … But it's complicated to have to come down canals with very large barges that barely fit," Lyons said.

Lyons pointed to the Bahia neighborhood in Novato as a cautionary tale. That former boating community became a marsh after residents stopped dredging because of political pressures, internal disagreements and extended litigation.

Neighborhood leaders are also watching Golden Gate Ferry's push to expand service at the Larkspur Landing Ferry Terminal. The district is seeking environmental clearance to increase daily trips from 42 to about 54, according to a December 2025 Marin Independent Journal report. Lyons said he considers ferry wakes one of the biggest causes of sediment buildup in the channels.

The new Liwa-class ferry vessels are designed with hulls that produce fewer wakes, according to the December 2025 Marin IJ report.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors, which governs CSA 29, approved the ballot language in May. No arguments for or against Measure Z were submitted to the Marin County elections department.

Ballots go out to Paradise Cay voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election.