Comments on: AUSD votes 4-0 to put parcel tax on ballot http://albanytoday.org/2009/08/06/ausd-votes-4-0-to-put-parcel-tax-on-ballot/ News and stories on people in Albany, CA Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:03:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ross Stapleton-Gray http://albanytoday.org/2009/08/06/ausd-votes-4-0-to-put-parcel-tax-on-ballot/comment-page-1/#comment-2704 Ross Stapleton-Gray Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:36:07 +0000 http://albanytoday.org/?p=1372#comment-2704 [By way of disclaimer, I recently joined the SchoolCARE board] Ira says, "...whether the household lives in an $800 per month studio or in a $1 million mansion." We ought to note that a very, very few Albany homes are assessed at $1M; the difference between $800/mo. rent and a mortgage even on a million dollar home is only a matter of smallish multiples, and that Albany, by and large, is more "compressed" than a city like Berkeley, which has a far greater range of property sizes and values. Arguably a parcel tax also does something to moderate the problems of Prop 13. Later arrivals to Albany can pay an order of magnitude more in ad valorem taxes than their neighbors, on equivalent houses. [By way of disclaimer, I recently joined the SchoolCARE board]

Ira says, “…whether the household lives in an $800 per month studio or in a $1 million mansion.” We ought to note that a very, very few Albany homes are assessed at $1M; the difference between $800/mo. rent and a mortgage even on a million dollar home is only a matter of smallish multiples, and that Albany, by and large, is more “compressed” than a city like Berkeley, which has a far greater range of property sizes and values.

Arguably a parcel tax also does something to moderate the problems of Prop 13. Later arrivals to Albany can pay an order of magnitude more in ad valorem taxes than their neighbors, on equivalent houses.

]]> By: Ira http://albanytoday.org/2009/08/06/ausd-votes-4-0-to-put-parcel-tax-on-ballot/comment-page-1/#comment-2702 Ira Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:07:43 +0000 http://albanytoday.org/?p=1372#comment-2702 The key problem with the latest Albany proposal is that each household pays the same amount, whether the household lives in an $800 per month studio or in a $1 million mansion. It doesn’t have to be that way. Berkeley has a more progressive approach. Below is information on Berkeley’s approach. http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Berkeley_tax_measure_GG,_2008 Measure GG said: "To enable the City to keep fire stations open and improve emergency medical response and disaster preparedness, shall a special tax be authorized of $.04083 per square foot of improvements in dwelling units and $.06179 per square foot on all other improvements?" http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Elections/measures/2002/Lpedestriantext.pdf “Parcel” means a unit of real estate in one ownership as shown on the most current official assessment role of the Alameda County Assessor. E. “Square footage” means the total gross horizontal areas of all floors, including usable basement and cellars, below the roof and within the outer surface of the main walls of buildings (or the center lines of party walls separating such buildings or portions thereof) or within lines drawn parallel to and two feet within the roof line of any building or portion thereof without walls (which includes, notwithstanding subsection 3 of this definition, the square footage of all porches), and including pedestrian access walkways or corridors, but excluding the following: http://www.smartvoter.org/2002/11/05/ca/alm/meas/2002 Berkeley tax votes http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/alm/meas/ 2006 Berkeley tax votes http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Clerk/Level_3_-_General/2008-02-12%20WS%2001%20pres%20Nov%202008%20Ballot%20Measures%20021208%20Final.pdf http://www.cityofberkeley.info/citycouncil/2005citycouncil/packet/031505/2005-03-15%20Item%2011.pdf The key problem with the latest Albany proposal is that each household pays the same amount, whether the household lives in an $800 per month studio or in a $1 million mansion. It doesn’t have to be that way. Berkeley has a more progressive approach.
Below is information on Berkeley’s approach.

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Berkeley_tax_measure_GG,_2008

Measure GG said:
“To enable the City to keep fire stations open and improve emergency medical response and disaster preparedness, shall a special tax be authorized of $.04083 per square foot of improvements in dwelling units and $.06179 per square foot on all other improvements?”

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Elections/measures/2002/Lpedestriantext.pdf

“Parcel” means a unit of real estate in one ownership as shown on the most
current official assessment role of the Alameda County Assessor.
E. “Square footage” means the total gross horizontal areas of all floors, including
usable basement and cellars, below the roof and within the outer surface of the
main walls of buildings (or the center lines of party walls separating such
buildings or portions thereof) or within lines drawn parallel to and two feet within
the roof line of any building or portion thereof without walls (which includes,
notwithstanding subsection 3 of this definition, the square footage of all porches),
and including pedestrian access walkways or corridors, but excluding the
following:

http://www.smartvoter.org/2002/11/05/ca/alm/meas/2002 Berkeley tax votes
http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/alm/meas/ 2006 Berkeley tax votes

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Clerk/Level_3_-_General/2008-02-12%20WS%2001%20pres%20Nov%202008%20Ballot%20Measures%20021208%20Final.pdf

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/citycouncil/2005citycouncil/packet/031505/2005-03-15%20Item%2011.pdf

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