Although it never really goes away, the threat to Proposition 13 from a proposal for “split roll” is back, with a vengeance.
Candidate for governor Tom Steyer has made the destruction of Proposition 13 a major campaign promise. He has called it a “scam” that Prop. 13 protects all taxable property in California, including commercial and industrial property.
But this is an argument voters rejected in June 1978, when Proposition 13 was on the ballot, and again in November 2024 when Proposition 15 would have imposed annual reassessment to current market value on all business properties in California.
Voters rejected Proposition 15 in 2024, just as in June 1978 they rejected Proposition 8, a last-minute measure put on the ballot by the Legislature that would have allowed a split-roll property tax system. Lawmakers hoped voters would choose that over Prop. 13. They didn’t.
California voters have understood the argument that two things would follow from reassessing business properties to current market value every year: Prices would go up, and homeowners would be next.
The problem in California is government overspending. Revenue growth is strong, but spending growth is outpacing it at both the state and local levels. As long as there are coalitions of special interests that seek higher taxes, Proposition 13 will be a target. That’s how effective it is at protecting taxpayers from insatiable government spenders.
Your support of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has made it possible for HJTA to lead the fight against split roll and every other scheme to weaken Proposition 13 and the taxpayer protections it placed in our state constitution. Thank you for your membership and for your generous contributions year-round. We couldn’t do it without you.