Amounts raised, cash on hand and unpaid bills in the Nov. 3, 2026 Menlo Park election — figures from each Form 460 Summary Page, as of June 30, 2026.
MonitorMenlo.news · August 1, 2026 · Reports/Opinion
As of the July 31 semi-annual deadline, the money in Menlo Park’s fall election is concentrated in the two committees fighting over the downtown parking-plazas measure — the council races are an order of magnitude smaller.
The Vote No committee, Menlo Park Neighbors and Small Business Owners for Affordable Homes (sponsored by Housing Leadership Action of San Mateo County), reported $126,125 raised in April–June — of which $21,641 was non-monetary support, including a $20,150 in-kind contribution from the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, reported on Schedule C as donated “staff time” — and closed June with $130,731 in cash and $12,800 in unpaid bills.
That distinction matters: the Vote No effort has a professionally staffed sponsor working on its behalf, while the Vote Yes committee, Save Downtown Menlo — an all-volunteer coalition that reported no staff and just $877 in non-monetary support — raised $74,449 in the same period, held $86,407 in cash, and carried $3,514 in unpaid bills.
Among candidates, District 4’s Charlotte Reed leads at $14,339; in District 2, challenger Vamsi Velagapudi ($8,051 plus a $1,500 loan) has out-raised incumbent Drew Combs ($5,445 plus a $2,000 loan); District 4’s Laura Melahn reported no monetary contributions and is running on a $2,000 personal loan; and in District 1, neither Wonman Lee nor James Rohr has reported meaningful fundraising (Rohr filed a short-form 470).
| Committee / candidate | Statement period | Raised this period | Raised calendar YTD | Cash on hand (6/30) | Unpaid bills (6/30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown parking-plazas measure committees | |||||
| Menlo Park Neighbors & Small Business Owners for Affordable Homes (Vote No; Housing Leadership Action–sponsored) | Apr 1 – Jun 30 | $126,125a | $216,135 | $130,731 | $12,800 |
| Save Downtown Menlo: A Coalition of Residents & Local Businesses (Vote Yes) | Apr 1 – Jun 30 | $74,449 | $98,503 | $86,407 | $3,514 |
| City Council — District 1 (Belle Haven; Taylor not running) | |||||
| Wonman Lee | — | No campaign statement with reported activity posted as of Aug 1 | |||
| James Rohr | Short form | Filed Form 470 — does not anticipate raising/spending $2,000+ | |||
| City Council — District 2 | |||||
| Drew Combs (incumbent) | Jan 1 – Jun 30 | $5,445b | $5,445 | $5,004 | $0 |
| Vamsi Velagapudi | Jan 1 – Jun 30 | $8,051c | $8,051 | $6,504 | $0 |
| City Council — District 4 (Nash’s seat) | |||||
| Charlotte Reed | Jan 1 – Jun 30 | $14,339 | $14,339 | $4,417 | $0 |
| Laura Melahn | Jan 1 – Jun 30 | $50d | $50 | $1,058 | $0 |
Figures are rounded to whole dollars from each Form 460 Summary Page (Lines 1, 4, 5, 9, 16). “Raised” = monetary + non-monetary contributions; loans are excluded and noted separately.
a Includes $21,641 non-monetary, of which a $20,150 in-kind contribution from the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, itemized on Schedule C as donated “staff time,” is the largest item. By contrast, Save Downtown Menlo is an all-volunteer coalition reporting no staff and only $877 in non-monetary support.
b Plus a $2,000 loan.
c Includes $1,053 non-monetary; plus a $1,500 loan.
d $0 monetary contributions; $50 in-kind. Campaign is funded by a $2,000 personal loan. Figures read from Melahn’s scanned paper 460.
All dollar figures were extracted directly from the Summary Page of each committee’s or candidate’s most recent Form 460 on the City of Menlo Park NetFile portal, and independently re-checked by MonitorMenlo against the filed statement; every filing’s ending-cash line was arithmetically re-verified (Line 12 + 13 + 14 − 15 = Line 16). Melahn’s scanned paper 460 was read from the rendered image.
Sources: City of Menlo Park NetFile portal (netfile.com/public/cmp/campaign); The Almanac and Palo Alto Daily Post council-race coverage.
This report was AI-assisted in extracting and verifying the filing figures and reviewed by the site operator before publication; see our AI use disclosure.