NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area Chapter: Latest News

CBPA's California Legislative Update 8/16/19

August 16, 2019 Filed under: Legislative News: California

THEY ARE BACK!
SPLIT ROLL BACKERS ADMIT INITIATIVE IS FLAWED FILES SECOND INITIATIVE
THIS IS STILL SPLIT ROLL; WE STILL OPPOSE
HOW CAN I HELP FIGHT SPLIT ROLL?
CBPA 2019/2020 CALENDAR

THEY ARE BACK!

The Legislature is back from its Summer Recess and for the next three weeks every bill still alive under the Gilded Dome will be acted upon. Many, many issues will have a direct impact on your business. Bills related to rent control, lactation accommodations, independent contracting, just cause eviction, and electric vehicle mandates will be voted on. Your staff in Sacramento is working hard to make sure the commercial real estate interests are represented in these negotiations!

SPLIT ROLL BACKERS ADMIT INITIATIVE IS FLAWED FILES SECOND INITIATIVE

As you know, an $11 Billion Property Tax Initiative Has Qualified for the November 2020 Ballot. However, the special interest groups that qualified that measure to dismantle Proposition 13’s property tax protections, now say they want to gather signatures to qualify a SECOND version, because their measure is flawed.

These special interests will need to spend upwards of $10 million simply qualify this second initiative for the ballot.

They also want to keep the first measure they admit is flawed on the ballot just in case they don’t qualify the second measure, they can run with the one they admit isn’t good public policy. Incredible!

Both measures would raise taxes on commercial and industrial property by requiring reassessment at current market value every three years – creating a new base year for every business property in the state.

The measures would raise taxes on commercial and industrial property by requiring reassessment at current market value every three years – creating a new base year for every business property in the state.

If this measure passes, the sponsors will come after Prop 13 protections on homeowners next.

THIS IS STILL SPLIT ROLL; WE STILL OPPOSE

Today, the proponents of a split roll property tax measure that qualified for the November 2020 statewide ballot acknowledged the significant flaws in their existing measure and filed a new measure they hope to qualify for the November 2020 ballot. The measure has repeatedly received less than 50 percent support in statewide surveys, providing a clear indication that the measure was doomed from the start.

“This is just another, equally flawed measure aimed at dismantling Proposition 13. Proponents should at least withdraw their existing measure, which they now acknowledge is fatally flawed,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable and co-chair of Californians to Stop Higher Property Taxes. “However, there are no tweaks or amendments that can be made to this split roll measure that will prevent it from being a major, multi-billion-dollar tax on all Californians in the form of higher prices on everything we buy – from groceries and gasoline to diapers and day care. Should either measure appear on the November 2020 ballot, an aggressive, broad-based coalition will fight it.”

“For decades, these same special interests have attempted to erode Proposition 13’s protections,” said Rex Hime, President and CEO of the California Business Properties Association and co-chair of Californians to Stop Higher Property Taxes. “This last-ditch attempt to tinker with the details is like rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. No matter how you shuffle, dismantling Proposition 13 will result in disaster for California families, workers and the economy.”

“Split roll proponents have known for a year and a half that their ballot measure was flawed, yet they spent nearly $3.5 million to qualify the measure and refused to withdraw it from the ballot,” said John Kabateck, State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business – California and co-chair of Californians to Stop Higher Property Taxes. “How are we supposed to trust them with something as important as our property taxes?”

“This reboot doesn’t fix the initiative’s fatal error, which is that it would make property taxes completely unpredictable for owners and local governments alike,” said Robert Gutierrez, President of the California Taxpayers Association and co-chair of Californians to Stop Higher Property Taxes. “Under Proposition 13, property taxes provide growing revenue for local government, while property owners have certainty about their taxes and are protected from unmanageable increases. Any attempt to repeal Prop 13 protections will be met with strong opposition, no matter how it might be repackaged.”

“It is no secret that split roll proponents have had their eye on unraveling Proposition 13 protections for decades. Homeowners will not tolerate any changes to Proposition 13 now or in the future,” said Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and co-chair of Californians to Stop Higher Property Taxes.

Californians to Stop Higher Property Taxes, a coalition of businesses, taxpayers, homeowners and renters, has been fighting to protect Proposition 13 and oppose a split roll for more than a decade.

Click here for a Web Based version you can share with your members.

HOW CAN I HELP FIGHT SPLIT ROLL?

The special interests pushing Split Roll and spending tens of millions of dollars just to get it on the ballot because they see this $11 BILLION dollar tax increase as a bonanza to their members and causes. One of the most massive tax increases ever proposed and it comes out of your pocket every year.

Many of our members have stepped up and contributed to the fight to protect Prop. 13. Has your company? Contact CBPA now to contribute to fight financially and sign up here to keep updated.

CBPA 2019/2020 CALENDAR

2019

Thursday-Friday, December 5-6

Strategic Issues Conference

Embassy Suites Napa Valley

2020

Wednesday, February 26

CBPA Winter Board Meeting

CalChamber, Sacramento

Thursday, April 2

CBPA’s Industry-Wide Legislative Committee Meeting

Southern California