Several cities in Sonoma County are quietly cutting their taxes on most real estate transactions, a tacit acknowledgment that for years they may have been charging too much. Cloverdale, Cotati and Sebastopol have reduced or are proposing to decrease their so-called documentary transfer tax rate, which tacks hundreds of dollars on the sale of an average home.

Even though funding shortfalls have made it uncertain when commuter trains will reach Healdsburg, Windsor and Cloverdale, SMART is planning express bus service to link those communities with the train in Santa Rosa. One board member predicted the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit agency would start construction north of Santa Rosa in two to three years.

Cloverdale is joining a growing group of cities closed for business on Fridays. The Friday closures of Cloverdale City Hall will begin March 2, part of a series of cost-cutting measures approved by the City Council to offset the latest dip in general fund revenues.

Building a new police station is a top priority in Cloverdale, but whether that happens anytime soon hinges on a court battle, newly appointed Mayor Bob Cox said Monday. Like other cities around the state, Cloverdale is hoping a state Supreme Court hearing in January will free up funding for redevelopment projects such as the new police headquarters.

Alarmed by statistics that show a high level of underage alcohol consumption in the community, Cloverdale City Council members are crafting an ordinance that targets adults who allow teen drinking parties. The “Social Host Ordinance,” a tool already used in three other cities in Sonoma County, allows officers to impose criminal and civil penalties on adults if there are repeat instances of underage drinking in their homes.

Plans for a casino in Cloverdale became murkier Wednesday when a portion of the land proposed for the controversial project was reclaimed at a foreclosure auction. With the flat economy and new gambling ventures on hold, Cloverdale officials were divided on whether the foreclosure and auction signaled trouble for the casino project.

Cloverdale’s city employee groups have reached agreements on new labor contracts that for the first time will require the city’s 42 employees to pay a portion of the costs of their medical and retirement plans. “These agreements are a reflection of that (employee) commitment and a recognition of the financial constraints the city is facing,” Mayor Gus Wolter said.

Cloverdale expects to have a slight surplus in its $5.2 million general fund at the end of this budget year. But over the next five years, the forecast is for growing deficits each year. For a city with only a token reserve fund of $30,000, it’s a sobering picture. “It’s a cautionary tale,” City Manager Nina Regor said.

Cloverdale officials have decided to continue with the city’s redevelopment programs, even though it will involve a hefty payment to the state.

The family of an elderly Cloverdale pedestrian who suffered fatal injuries from a teen-aged hit-and-run driver has filed a claim against the city. The family of Miguel Cuevas Sanchez, 83, alleges the design and maintenance of the intersection resulted in the driver striking Sanchez, causing his death four days later.