A new report from the California Legislative Analyst's Office demystifies the highly consequential and controversial property tax limit enacted by Proposition 13.
The California Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) released a new report to detail Prop. 13—a 1978 law that limited property taxes in the state with consequences lasting to this day.
The report, titled "Common Claims About Proposition 13," endeavors to answer the many questions about the impact of the law, with the data available to the LAO.
Call it a frequently asked questions document if you will, but anyone who wants to understand more about how land use policies intertwine with municipal finance in the nation's most populous state (and one suffering from similar crises of housing and infrastructure as much of the rest of the country) would do well to study the report.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Background
- Are Similar Property Owners Taxed Differently Under Proposition 13?
- Do Proposition 13’s Benefits for Property Owners Vary With Income?
- Does Proposition 13 Reduce Property Turnover?
- Did Proposition 13 Cause Residential Properties to Pay a Larger Share of Property Taxes?
- Does Proposition 13 Discourage New Business Creation?
- How Does Proposition 13 Affect the Stability of Property Taxes?
- How Did Proposition 13 Change Local Governments Mix of Tax Revenues?
- What Happened to Local Government Revenues After Proposition 13?
- Did Proposition 13 Reduce the Number of New Local Governments Formed?
- Does Proposition 13 Alter Local Government Land Use Decisions?
- Does Proposition 13 Alter Property Owners’ Development Decisions?
- Did Proposition 13 Increase Fees on Developers?
- Did Assessments Associated With Development Rise After Proposition 13?
- Does Proposition 13 Increase Homeownership?
- Figure Data Sources
FULL STORY: Common Claims About Proposition 13
California's 'Split Roll' Property Tax Reform, Explained
California voters will consider a landmark reform of its infamous property tax system this November. Prop. 15 would remove property tax caps on commercial properties established by Prop. 13 in 1978.
Prop 13 on the Ballot in California—Just Not the Prop 13 Everyone's Worried About
A case of mistaken identity has embroiled California in election controversy, as claims of bias and misinformation swirl around Prop 13 (2020), Prop 13 (1978), and an anticipated "split roll" initiative.
Californians Could Vote to Expand Prop 13 Property Tax Breaks in November
A biting opinion piece asks why Californians would want to worsen the effects of Proposition 13 by voting yes on Proposition 5.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service