San Mateo County voters can meet campaign representatives for six November ballot measures at a free forum Thursday, Oct. 1, in Palo Alto.

The Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County is hosting the event, called "Ballot Measure-A-Palooza," from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mitchell Park Community Center's Matadero Room, 3700 Middlefield Road. The format is open: attendees visit tables at their own pace and ask campaign representatives questions directly. Light refreshments will be provided, and registration is available online.

The council has stated its position on each measure. The group supports Measure RTM and Prop 1 and opposes Prop 43.

Three of the six measures carry direct consequences for San Mateo residents.

Measure RTM would add a half-cent sales tax in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda counties and a full cent in San Francisco. The tax would run 14 years and generate roughly $980 million a year across the region, first reported by the Mercury News. Caltrain would receive about $70 million annually and SamTrans about $45 million. The measure needs a simple majority.

Without new revenue, Caltrain has proposed eliminating weekend service, closing more than a third of its stations and cutting frequency to one train per hour, the Mercury News reported. Emily Loper, senior vice president of public policy at the Bay Area Council, told the Mercury News in a Sept. 20 article that the deficits are too large for agencies to cut their way out and that dramatic service reductions could begin as soon as January without the measure.

Not everyone agrees. Gregg Dieguez, president of the Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit, told the Mercury News the proposed cuts are "a straw man" and that agencies should restructure costs instead.

Proposition 1 would authorize $11.25 billion in state bonds for affordable housing and homeownership programs. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) estimates the bond could subsidize up to 40,000 affordable rental units and help 40,000 households buy homes, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Repayment would cost the state General Fund $500 million to $600 million a year for about 25 years, according to the LAO. The Legislature placed Prop 1 on the ballot with bipartisan support, and it has no formal opposition.

Proposition 43 would amend the state constitution to require two-thirds voter approval for local special taxes proposed through citizen initiatives. Those measures currently need only a simple majority, according to the Sacramento Bee. The change would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Supporters include the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association; opponents include the California Democratic Party.

Three local measures round out the lineup: Palo Alto's Measure J sales tax, Menlo Park's Measure P and Los Altos' Measure D.

The Nov. 3 general election is five weeks away. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 19.