Press Release
Group aims to ward off efforts to undermine landmark property tax law
(San Diego) – The San Diego County Taxpayers Association’s board today voted to join Defend Proposition 13, a statewide coalition of business and good-government advocates in opposing the current efforts to undermine Proposition 13, the 1978 initiative that limits property taxation and mandates special taxes be approved by a supermajority of voters.
Last month, a Senate Constitutional Amendment (SCA 5) was introduced in the California Senate to split the property tax rolls between residential and commercial properties to allow for more frequent adjustment of commercial property tax values, which would lead to higher property taxes for businesses.
In its recent economic study on the impacts of a split-roll system, the SDCTA found that a split-roll system would amount to a massive tax increase on San Diego businesses, which would lead to higher consumer prices and the loss of thousands of jobs in the region.
“Joining the Defend Proposition 13 coalition is only the first step in opposing this attack on one of the most important propositions ever passed by voters,” said Theresa Andrews, SDCTA interim president and CEO. “In our analysis of the split roll property tax, we found that the estimated initial economic impact is potentially as high as $355.4 million annually equating to 2,240 jobs in San Diego alone. We have a long history of protecting taxpayers against unnecessary taxes and fees that impact our quality of life. “
While it’s unlikely that SCA 5 will garner the required two-thirds majority vote in the Legislature needed to put the proposal on the ballot without gathering signatures, the coalition is anticipating an effort to collect signatures to put a split-roll proposal on the ballot will follow SCA 5’s failure.
The SDCTA study on split-roll property taxation can be downloaded here:
A “Split-Roll” Property Tax System and San Diego’s Economy