Often we're asked the question of what makes up Tam Valley.

It is about 508.97 acres in size.  There are 2,595 living units of which 1873 are single-family units.  There are 88 condominiums and 200 apartments.  No exact population number exists, but a close guess would be around 7,000 (nearly the same size as Sausalito).  If you owned all the properties in the district, you would own 3,108,517 square feet of space.

Marin County Assessors Office numbers show the total value of all property within TCSD's boundary as $1,375,567,724.  It is one of the fastest-growing value bases in the County.  Total taxes collected this past year totaled $13,679,448, an increase of $1,577,567 from 2007-08.

Taxes are paid out to fourteen different taxing bodies:
- The largest is the Marin County government's general fund with $3,755,661.  Next are the school systems: Mill Valley Unified is $2,629,575 and the Tamalpais High School District at $1,891,797.  A small section of the Valley is in the Sausalito Unified District (along Tennessee Valley Rd) and they collect $39,475.  The Marin Community College District collects $1,013,152 and the Marin County Office of Education collects $347,657.

- Special services include the Southern Marin Fire District at $2,109,645, Marin County Library at $466,168, Marin County Flood Control (Zone 3) at $276,342, Marin County Parks and Open Space at $147,382, Sonoma-Marin County Mosquito control District at $43,979, the Bay Area Air Quality Control District collects $28,209, and the Marin County Transit District (public transit) collects $86,061.

TCSD collects $691,954 and a miscellaneous highway levy of $152,250.  These dollar totals are provided by Marin County and do not factor in the reductions that come from state take-backs - these take-backs can reduce actual dollar amounts provided to each body.

While many units of local government around the state are seeing a shrinking tax base, Southern Marin appears to be an island of stability although recently price reductions are occurring with several new properties being put up for sale.  These changes will be factored into the future tax bases, which also are impacted as more parcels each year are leaving the tax limitations placed on them in 1978 with Prop. 13.

Hopefully this gives you a physical and financial picture of Tam Valley in 2009.