The San Joaquin town of Mountain House is poised to become California’s newest city. An incorporation measure was on the ballot Tuesday, and preliminary results show it passing with over 90% support.
Mountain House is located about 9 miles north of Tracy. It was a popular rest stop during the Gold Rush era. In 1996, it was established as a Community Services District, and it has been governed by a local Board of Directors since 2008. Today, the community has a population of nearly 30,000, and it continues to grow rapidly. During the pandemic, it was named one of the hottest neighborhoods by Redfin.
Steve Pinkerton, general manager of the Mountain House Community Services District, has stressed that taxes would not go up as a result of incorporation. He also says that, since the community has been planning for decades, its finances are sufficient to withstand the challenges of cityhood.
Mountain House would continue to rely on the county for essential services like public safety. So far, the results indicate that voters favor a city council elected at large. Mountain House Community Services District Board Member Andy Su has a comfortable lead for mayor.
The last city to incorporate in California was Jurupa Valley in 2011.