The Orange County Taxpayers Association was a part of a larger state coalition that worked to try and defeat SB 1021 (Wolk) a bill that will unfairly impose unlimited tax increases on select property owners by allowing the imposition of nonuniform parcel taxes. This is a “let’s tax whoever we want, whatever we want” approach that basically allows a free-for-all tax system. The Coalition had several key concerns:
Homeowners would lose their parcel tax deduction and face higher state and federal income taxes
It furthers weakens low-wealth school districts
It deteriorates Proposition 13’s protection for homeowners
Potentially higher taxes on businesses
It is Discriminatory
Property owners are being singled out.
Given a controversial legal finding that this was not a tax vote, it only needed a simple majority to pass. The California Teachers Association (CTA) put the hard press on Democratic State Senators to pass this bill.
A huge thank you goes out to Orange County State Senator Lou Correa for voting No.
This bill now moves to the State Assembly where we will continue to monitor how our OC Assemblymembers will vote.
For further information, here is a link to the CalTax Coalition opposition letter and a UT San Diego article by Steven Greenhut.
By Carolyn Cavecche, President & CEO of Orange County Taxpayers Association