YOUR DUES DOLLARS AT WORK
CCA WORKING TO DEFEAT PROPOSITION 15: HOW YOU CAN HELP by CCA Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur In the July/August edition of California Cattleman, CCA outlined some of the threats posed by the “split roll” initiative appearing on the November General Election ballot (“Taxes Could Take a Big Hike: November Split Roll Initiative Poses Threats to Agriculture”). Election officials have since announced that the split roll initiative will appear on the ballot as Proposition 15. To recap, 1978’s Proposition 13 dictated that property taxes for residential and business property are calculated based on 1 percent of the property’s purchase price, with annual property tax increases capped at 2 percent. Under Proposition 15, commercial and industrial properties would be removed from Proposition 13’s protections and be reassessed at current market value every three years— increasing property taxes statewide by as much as $12 billion annually. While the proponents of the split roll (and indeed the official summary for the proposition) claim that “agricultural properties” are “exempt” from this property tax hike, this claim is intentionally misleading. The proponents acknowledge that “Commercial or industrial structures on agricultural land would be taxed at market value,” including barns, feedlots, methane digesters and other improvements on agricultural lands. What’s more, voters in November may be duped into supporting Proposition 15: the official ballot summary authored by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra
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mentions nothing of the significant tax increase spurred by the Proposition—or the consequences of those tax hikes—only that it “Increases funding for public schools, community colleges, and local government services by changing tax assessment of commercial and industrial property.” That Proposition 15 is “changing” tax assessment is putting it lightly. To defeat Proposition 15, CCA has joined the “No On Prop 15” Coalition (which, as of press time, counts nearly 300 organizations among its ranks) and is working hard to educate the public on the devastating effects of Proposition 15. Below is a summary of CCA’s efforts in opposition to Proposition 15 and what you can do to help defeat the $12 billion tax increase. CCA’s Efforts to Defeat Proposition 15 Polling has shown that California voters look favorably to farmers and ranchers as trusted messengers about the impacts of Proposition 15. In light of this fact, CCA is working with the No On Prop 15 coalition to amplify ranchers’ voices in opposition to Proposition 15. CCA has been working to draft editorials in opposition to Proposition 15 and get them placed in priority publications. While these editorials address the devastating impacts that Proposition 15 could have for ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
