Working on proposition for November ballot; would save $1,000 per year on average
Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer.
The only law protecting seniors and other property owner dollars against inflation and real estate is Proposition 13. The most your real estate taxes can be raised is 2% a year under Prop 13.
Presently Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer and several other assessors throughout the California are working to increase the homeowner’s exemption from $7,000 a year to $100,000 a year minimum. This would give every homeowner almost a $1,000 a year reduction in their property taxes.
Prior to Prop 13 passing in 1978 the homeowner’s exemption was 25% of the assessed value. That also is an alternative to the $100,000 homeowner’s exemption being proposed. Please stay tuned for a proposition that addresses this on our upcoming November 2022 ballot.
“We’re working with the Jarvis Gann group,” Kramer said. “If there was ever a time to help homeowners this is the time with inflation, increased values, and increases in interest rates.”
“The state should have indexed the exemption in 1978 but they were greedy and did not,” he added.
As this proposition develops, he will keep the public informed, Kramer shared.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Would be great if this exemption comes to pass but I am very doubtful. My husband and I moved to this county last summer and applied for prop 19 exemption. So far it’s been 7 months and NO results. I have to pay my property taxes because they will charge us interest on nonpayment .. Do you think they should pay us interest on the probably extra $8000 they are holding hostage while they reassess according to prop 19.?
After the reassessment how long do you think it will take for the tax collector to send us a check ?
I
Anout 6 weeks on average.
That would be very helpful. I’m senior, no kids, and pay a fortune for bad schools is in my town. No more BART bonds. Have seen hardly any improvement from Measure RR; new cars so uncomfortable, service bad because of criminal activity making commute home longer and longer, then they try and rob you in the parking lot. BART doesn’t work any more; too expensive to ride and park, then your car is assaulted too.. Watch out for creeps trying to follow you home too; had that happen at North Concord and had to drive to CHP in Martinez. Drove back to report to BART Police, they wouldn’t take a report because I had no motorcycle license plate number of a guy wearing shades at 12:00 a.m.. in the old days, BPD watched the lots and escorted you to your car.
As a homeowner, I’m very interested on this Proposition on the November, 2022 ballot.
If Mr. Kramer can pull this off, seniors will have reduced stress in trying to figure out their finances to stay above water.
My situation is likely similar to other seniors. What exacerbates our problem is that we sold and left our CA home in 2019 then returned to a new home in 2021. We were within the “2 year window” and yet Mr. Kramer’s office never responded to communication I sent asking for a review/discussion since purchase of the new home was within that 2-year window.