RES-11271 Opposes Prop 15 and Reaffirms Support for Prop 13, The People's Initiative to Limit Property TaxationRESOLUTION NO. 11271
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ORANGE OPPOSING PROPOSITION 15,A
SPLIT-ROLL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, ON THE
NOVEMBER 3,2020,BALLOT,AND REAFFIRMING
ITS SUPPORT FOR PROPOSITION 13, THE
PEOPLE'S INITIATIVE TO LIMIT PROPERTY
TAXATION."
WHEREAS,on June 6, 1978,Proposition 13,officially titled the"People's Initiative
to Limit Property Taxation,"was overwhelmingly approved by California's voters,reducing
property tax rates on homes, businesses and farms, and capping the rate of tax increases in
the future; and
WHEREAS, on the same ballot, voters rejected Proposition 8, which proposed a
split-roll" property tax that for the first time in California history would have allowed the
government to discriminate against property owners based on the type of property owned;
and
WHEREAS,prior to Proposition 13,rapidly rising inflation and subjective property
assessments led to an inequitable property t system that forced families to sell their homes
and business owners to close their doors due to soaring property tax bills; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 13 provides certainty for taxpayers with respect to their
property tax liability,eliminating the unpredictable year-to-year changes that occurred under
the system it replaced; and
WHEREAS,Proposition 13 provides a stable revenue source for the government,in
contrast to the volatile personal income tax, which California heavily relies upon for
revenue; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 13 allows businesses to flourish and grow by providing a
more stable business climate in the state; and
WHEREAS, with exponentially rising costs of living in the state of California,
Proposition 13 makes it easier for families to achieve the American Dream of home and
business ownership; and
WHEREAS, property tax revenue in the state of California grew significantly
following the passage of Proposition 13, with the 2019-20 assessors' rolls reporting taxable
property value of$6.6 trillion in the state, suggesting property tax revenue of at least$72.5
billion,plus billions more for local levies used to repay bonds, including school bonds; and
WHEREAS, assessed values increase under Proposition 13 due to changes in
ownership, new construction, and an annual adjustment for inflation that is limited to 2%
per year to protect property owners while still providing additional revenue for local
governments; and
WHEREAS, homeowners have been the biggest beneficiaries of Proposition 13, as
their cumulative share of the total property tax burden has gone down more than 5% since
its passage, from 41.84% in 1979-80 down to 36.65% in 20i6-17; and
WHEREAS,Proposition 13 remains just as popular with voters today as it was when
it was approved,with recent surveys citing that 65%of likely voters support Proposition 13;
and
WHEREAS, proposed alternatives to Proposition 1 3 that would increase property
taxes on California businesses would harm the ability of employers to hire or retain
California employees and lead to more businesses and jobs leaving the state; and
WHEREAS,proposed alternatives to Proposition 13 could negatively affect renters,
who would see their rents increase as landlords experienced higher operating costs and
passed these costs down to their tenants; and
WHEREAS, proponents of the "Schools and Communities First" tax increase
initiative qualified for the November 2020 ballot seek to undermine and remove taxpayer
protections provided by Proposition 13 by requiring businesses to pay higher property t es
than all other property owners; and
WHEREAS,the"split-roll"initiative would increase the cost of food by increasing
property taxes on agricultural buildings and some crops; and
WHEREAS,the County Assessors' Association found that the"split-roll"initiative
would result in a net loss of revenue for some counties due to the cost of newly created
exemptions for select property owners; and
WHEREAS,assessors repeatedly have stated that the"split-roll"initiative would be
impossible to implement given unavailability of data needed to administer the proposed
exemptions, unavailabiliTy of qualified candidates to fill the approximately 900 new
government positions that would be needed, and the limited timeframe set by the initiative;
and
WHEREAS, since the passage of Proposition 13, voters have rejected, by wide
margins, changes that would have businesses pay property taxes at a higher rate than those
imposed upon residential owners, as evidenced by the defeat of Proposition 167 in 1992.
Resolution No. 11271 2
NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED that in recognition of the benefits that
Proposition 13 provides for all property owners, California's economy and the residents of
this community, the City of Orange hereby opposes the split-roll property tax increase,
Proposition 15 on the November 3, 2020 ballot, and reaffirms its support for Proposition 13
for all property owners.
ADOPTED this 8th day of September 2020.
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1 r`
Mark A. Murphy, Mayor Mike Alvarez, Mayor pro tem
Kimber ichols, Cou cilmember Chip Monaco, Councilmember
ATTEST:
Pamela Coleman, City Clerk, City of Orange
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE )
CITY OF ORANGE
I, PAMELA COLEMAN, City Clerk of the City of Orange, California, do hereby
certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of
the City of Orange at a regular meeting thereof held on the 8th day of September 2020, by
the following vote:
AYES:COUNCILMEMBERS: Alvarez, Murphy,Nichols, Monaco
NOES:COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSTAIN: COiJNCILMEMBERS: None
Pamela Coleman, City Clerk, City of Orange
Resolution No. 11271 3