Editing Half Moon Bay, California (section)

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2020}}

[[File:Hmbmeadow.jpg|thumb|A valley floor outside the city]]

Half Moon Bay began as a rural agricultural area, primarily used by [[Mission San Francisco de Asís]] (established in 1776) for grazing cattle, horses, and oxen. After the Mission's secularization, Tiburcio Vásquez received the [[Rancho Corral de Tierra (Vasquez)|Rancho Corral de Tierra]] [[Ranchos of California|Mexican land grant]] in 1839 and Candelario Miramontes was granted [[Rancho Miramontes]] (later known as Rancho San Benito) in 1841.

The community began to develop in the 1840s as San Mateo County's first real town. Originally, San Benito, the town was renamed Spanishtown and attracted a thriving fishing industry in addition to its continued importance to coastal agriculture. Spanishtown became a racially diverse community, settled by Canadians, Chinese, English, Germans, Irish, Mexicans, Italians, Scots, Portuguese, and Pacific Islanders. Regular stagecoach service was established with [[San Mateo, California|San Mateo]]; coaches also served [[Purissima]], [[Lobitos, California|Lobitos]], and [[San Gregorio, California|San Gregorio]]. Levy Brothers opened a department store downtown. Spanishtown was officially renamed Half Moon Bay in 1874.

[[File:USS DeLong;0512904.jpg|thumb|The [[USS DeLong (DD-129)|USS ''DeLong'']], run aground]]

The area grew very slowly, even after the [[Ocean Shore Railroad]] began serving the community in 1907. The construction of [[Pedro Mountain Road]] in 1914 provided better access to San Francisco and probably contributed to the railroad's demise by 1920. The [[USS DeLong (DD-129)|USS ''DeLong'']] ran aground at Half Moon Bay on December 1, 1921. During [[Prohibition]] "rum runners" took advantage of dense fog and hidden coves in the area to serve several roadhouses and inns, some of which operate today as restaurants (e.g., [[Moss Beach Distillery]]). Real growth in the area came after World War II with the construction of numerous subdivisions, eventually leading to Half Moon Bay's incorporation in 1959. The city preserves a historic downtown district that has buildings dating as far back as 1869.

===2008 economic downturn and subsequent recovery===

In 2008, financial setbacks endangered the city's viability. The economic crisis severely affected tourism, which generates the most revenue, and just when the city had finalized an $18{{nbsp}}million settlement over a property lawsuit. As the municipal budget was typically $14{{nbsp}}million or less, city fathers had issued bonds with annual payments of approximately $1 million over 25{{nbsp}}years. As a result of these obstacles, the threat of bankruptcy was very real. Dozens of meetings were held to decide where to cut the budget and finally, 75{{nbsp}}percent of municipal employees were laid off and replaced with contract workers. Employee contributions toward retirement benefits were also raised. The city council sought to regain the money paid in the settlement, believing that it should have been paid by the city's insurers. A lawsuit against the insurers was decided in 2013 and the insurer was ordered to pay the city more than $13{{nbsp}}million; the Association of Bay Area Governments partially covered the costs of the lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smdailyjournal.com/sports/oakland-tops-the-yankees/article_83f9b028-df8c-5796-98e2-c4afa7cfd612.html|title=Oakland tops the Yankees|last=The Associated Press|website=San Mateo Daily Journal|date=June 13, 2013 |access-date=August 12, 2019}}</ref>

The city's finances improved afterward. It was able to retire the first of its two 30-year Judgment Obligation Bonds (2009A Series Bonds) 20{{nbsp}}years early. The early retirement was expected to save the city over $426,000 in annual General Fund expenses starting in 2015{{ndash}}16.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

As of the publication of the Fiscal Year 2015{{ndash}}16 Budget the General Fund budget was balanced and had a structural surplus of $4{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hmbcity.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124&Itemid=126 |title=Financial Reports |access-date=June 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525002811/http://hmbcity.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124&Itemid=126 |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2023 mass shootings===
{{main|2023 Half Moon Bay shootings}}

On January 23, 2023, [[mass shooting]]s occurred in Half Moon Bay. A [[spree killer]] opened fire at two farms with a semi-automatic pistol, killing seven people and critically injuring an eighth person. A 66-year-old suspect was taken into custody after he arrived in his SUV at the parking lot of the sheriff's office substation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=7 Dead, 1 Injured Following Separate Shootings in Half Moon Bay |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/peninsula/deadly-shootings-half-moon-bay/3137085/ |access-date=January 24, 2023 |website=NBC Bay Area |date=January 23, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===2024 blocking of affordable housing===
In 2024, Half Moon Bay politicians were criticized by California Governor [[Gavin Newsom]] for repeatedly delaying approval of a 40-unit apartment building for senior farmworkers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Thomas |date=2024-05-12 |title=Newsom blasts Half Moon Bay planners over delay on farmworker senior housing project |url=http://localnewsmatters.org/2024/05/12/newsom-blasts-half-moon-bay-planners-over-delay-on-farmworker-senior-housing-project/ |website=Local News Matters |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-10 |title=After mass shooting that killed farmworkers, Gov. Newsom urges Half Moon Bay to stop delaying housing project |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-05-09/gov-gavin-newsom-urges-half-moon-bay-to-stop-delay-of-farm-worker-housing |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Newsom threatened to take legal steps against the city if they continued stalling on the housing.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramirez |first=Len |date=2024-05-13 |title=Political pressure mounting for Half Moon Bay to build housing for retired farmworkers - CBS San Francisco |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/political-pressure-mounting-for-half-moon-bay-to-build-housing-for-retired-farmworkers/ |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> Half Moon Bay Commissioner Rick Hernandez said that they were resistant to approving the senior farmworker housing because "we love the character of our small-town community" claiming that once this proposal is approved, it will [[Slippery slope|trigger more requests]] for other constructions.<ref name=":1" />