Property Taxes

With the failure of Proposition 15, the $140 million campaign to hike property taxes on businesses across the state finally comes to a close. Now begins a new statewide competition to explain what the results really mean.  For opponents, which include large business groups, commercial landlords and low-tax advocates, the lesson is clear: Forty years […]

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, November 6. Industry vs. Legislature The fate of four ballot measures — including what would be the largest change to California’s property tax structure in more than 40 years — hangs in the balance of 4.5 million uncounted votes, according to an estimate released Thursday evening by Secretary of State […]

Lea este artículo en español. Hundreds of thousands of college and university students are among the Californians expected to cast votes between now and November 3. The number of 18- to 24-year-olds registered to vote in California has climbed by 24% since the last presidential election, and students are finding creative ways to inspire their peers […]

On this episode of "Gimme Shelter," CalMatters' Matt Levin and the Los Angeles Times' Liam Dillon try to answer one voter's questions about the housing measures on her ballot.

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, October 22. Affirmative action unlikely to pass Will Californians decide to raise taxes on commercial properties — approving the biggest change to the state’s property tax structure in more than 40 years — or won’t they? With less than two weeks before the election, the Prop. 15 race is shaping […]

The tax revolt started in California in 1978, but it never really ended. Four decades ago mad-as-hell voters banded together to pass Proposition 13, capping property taxes, slapping a constitutional muzzle on state government and wringing local budgets like a washcloth. The electorate’s anti-tax fever may have broken in the years since, but the legacy […]

Prop. 15 will close a tax loophole, which will reclaim $12 billion a year for schools and communities so that we can reinvest in our future.

Court rulings for San Francisco proposition tax allows simple majority vote to fund infrastructure and social services.

Some experts are concerned higher taxes on commercial properties will incentivize cash-strapped cities to favor retail over housing. One analysis suggests Prop. 15 could be a housing boon, though.

Californians are voting on 12 propositions, but not all are funded equally. Just take a look at that fat slab of lilac in the graphic below. No surprise for even the most dimly engaged Californians who have been bombarded with ads for weeks now: Funding for Proposition 22, a measure to exempt gig-economy companies from […]