Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Abstract
As a result of the current economic downturn, city governments have faced significantly decreased revenues. Historically, property taxes have been a main revenue source for California cities. In 1978, the passage of Proposition 13 greatly reduced the amount of property tax cities receive. Considered together, the poor economy and the constraint of Proposition 13 have caused some attention to land on the historical performance of property taxes and their effect on communities. At the same time, cities find themselves looking for revenue and examining bottlenecks in their revenue streams. Several recent reports indicate that since the passage of Proposition 13, the burden of property tax has shifted from commercial properties to residential properties. It has been alleged that this could be due to the fact that commercial properties change hands less frequently or because of legal loopholes businesses employ. In response, there have been suggestions for changes to existing law however, none have gotten far. Although Proposition 13 has been the untouchable third rail of California politics for over thirty years, the time may be ripe for the voters to consider a change. Whether such a proposal will benefit them could be of great interest to cities. This paper will examine the willingness of city officials from Newark, Redwood City, and Los Altos to support a petition requiring the reassessment of commercial properties every six years. Data will be gathered from city officials to determine if they would support such a proposal.
Recommended Citation
Nikzat, Sherry, "Altering Proposition 13 to Include Periodic Reassessment of Commercial Property: The perspectives of Redwood City, City of Newark, and City of Los Altos" (2011). EMPA Capstones. 246.
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/capstones/246