HANC wants you to vote Yes on California Proposition 15.

The November 2020 elections is going to be different than any past election.  Although the election date is officially November 3, with Covid-19 still raging, the number of people actually voting at the polls is expected to be unusually small.  This year, California will send a mail-in ballot to every registered voter.  Ballots will be mailed to San Francisco voters beginning October 5, and mail-in ballots will be counted if they are postmarked by November 3 and received by November 20.  We encourage you to 1) ensure that the Elections Department has your current address on file, and 2) mail your ballot early.  If you do not receive a ballot by October 15, you should contact the Elections Department, online at https://sfelections.sfgov.org/vote-mail or by telephone at 415-554-4375.  Although the State has extended the time for ballots to be received from 3 days after the election to 17 days, we still encourage you to mail your ballot early, as the post office has already been slowed down.

            Now that we have encouraged you to ensure you receive your ballot and to send it in early,  we also want you to vote “Yes” on Proposition 15.  This could be a little confusing, because Proposition 15 is a revision to 1978’s Proposition 13.  Proponents have labeled Prop 15 “Schools and Communities First,” but the (draft) California Voter Guide labels it (subject to court-ordered changes) “Increases Funding Sources for Public Schools, Community Colleges, and Local Government Services by Changing Tax Assessment of Commercial and Industrial Property, Initiative Constitutional Amendment.”

            The label in the Voter Guide is a fairly accurate summary.  California cities and counties get a substantial percentage of their income from property taxes.  Before Proposition 13 passed in 1978, property was assessed on its current market value.  After Proposition 13 passed, property tax increases for real property (land and buildings) were limited to not more than 2% until the property was sold to a new owner.  Although in 1978 Proposition 13 was advertised as a way to prevent widows from losing their homes, the limitation on property taxes applies to large office towers and other extremely expensive properties as well as to single family residences.

Proposition 15 would change this for commercial and industrial property valued at over $3 million.  The property tax on these properties would be based on current market value, instead of the original purchase price.  Residential property and commercial property valued at less than $3 million would not be affected.

The California Voter Guide estimates that if Proposition 15 passes, property tax collection in California could increase by $8 billion to $12.5 billion per year.  Proponents characterize the measure as “Schools and Communities First” because most of the tax increase would go to cities, counties, special districts, schools, and community colleges.

Once again, please vote “Yes” on Proposition 15.