Measure Boosting Right to Vote on Tax Hikes OKd for Fall Ballot

An initiative strengthening the public’s right to vote on tax increases and property assessments, such as a controversial one passed this week by Los Angeles Community College District officials, qualified Friday for the Nov. 5 state ballot.

Secretary of State Bill Jones said proponents of the so-called Right to Vote on Taxes Act had submitted an estimated 767,640 valid voter signatures statewide, making the proposed state constitutional amendment the 12th initiative to qualify for the ballot so far.

The measure would restate Proposition 13’s mandate that special tax increases pass by a two-thirds vote, and it would add a majority approval requirement for general tax increases. It would also require a majority of property owners’ approval for all new, and some existing, property assessments.

Joel Fox, president of the Los Angeles-based Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., a co-sponsor of the measure, said it aims to curb an increasing trend in which local government agencies raise money through a variety of property assessments, which for now do not require public approval.

“The reason we did this is we feel the assessments have been abused over the last couple years,” said Fox, citing the community college district assessment as a prime example. “These assessment districts, to us and the people we represent, are property taxes,” he said.

On Thursday, Los Angeles college trustees approved a districtwide assessment on more than 1 million parcels due to start this November. Unless blocked, the levy would cost homeowners $12 a year. But the district drew fierce criticism for not putting the measure before voters.

If the Jarvis group’s initiative is approved in November, any new assessments in California would have to obtain majority approval from assessed property owners. And although the college assessment has already been adopted, at least a portion of it would require a vote, according to Fox and college district officials.