News & Updates - Press Release: California Business Roundtable Opposes Los Angeles Region Property Tax Increase
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2019
CONTACT: Brooke Armour
916.553.4093
(SACRAMENTO)—The California Business Roundtable has announced its opposition to Measure EE, the $500 million property tax on all homes, apartments and business properties within the boundaries of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) that will appear on the June 4, 2019 special election ballot.
“For decades, Proposition 13 has provided critical certainty for residents, keeping property tax rates predicable at a time when other taxes, transportation and energy costs continue to increase and squeeze family budgets. Since Prop. 13 continues to be supported by a large majority of Californians, special interests increasingly use parcel taxes like Measure EE to raise property tax revenue from residents and businesses. In fact, in 2018, there were 100 parcel taxes on California ballots. Measure EE is the second property tax increase measure in just two years for LAUSD residents, who are already some of the most heavily housing-cost burdened in the state,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable.
The Business Roundtable supported former Governor Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) as an important tool to increase money going to local schools. This year, the Roundtable strongly supports Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal to not only increase baseline school funding but to also dedicate additional one-time budget revenue dollars to local school districts. This $3 billion to pay down local districts’ pension obligations will help free up more money for local districts as well to spend at their discretion.
“In addition to this new money from the state, voters are being asked to pay more without any reforms, clear metrics or transparency to ensure their money will be spent in the classroom and on students. Unfortunately for Los Angeles region residents and businesses, Measure EE won’t be the end of the assault on their property taxes. It is simply another step by special interests to entirely undo Prop. 13 next year with a split roll property tax increase initiative. In fact, the split roll property tax initiative played a key role in the LAUSD teachers’ strike; the new teachers’ contract called for Mayor Garcetti to endorse the measure and work with both the union and the LAUSD in advocating for its passage. As one of the leading opponents of the split roll measure, we will continue fighting to keep property tax rates predictable by protecting Prop. 13 and the certainty it provides California residents and businesses already struggling to make ends meet in our ongoing affordability crisis,” Lapsley concluded.
# # #