I don’t think I ever posted this here but it’s an interesting map in light of the upcoming discussion that we should be having around property taxes and whether we can all afford a new parcel tax or a bond for schools. Someone somewhere did some very nifty programming and created this map which allows you to view how much your neighbors are paying in property tax. For me this exercise is rather boring for my neighborhood because it’s newish and everyone pretty much has the same property tax unless you did that transferring of your old property tax rate to your new home thing.
But the older neighborhoods in Alameda have much more variety to its property tax numbers. A fun section to view is around the Gold Coast and then click through to see how many people paying less than $4000 annually and using the senior exemption to not pay the parcel taxes.
Essentially the more green you see the more people paying well below the median parcel tax amount for that area:
Blogging Bayport Alameda 
It’s time to end prop 13. It incentivizes NIMBYism by taking the sting that would normally come from opposition to additional housing in a scarce market driving home values up. It’s like pouring gasoline on our housing crisis. Doing nothing but locking out millennials and Gen Z from ever obtaining homeownership so some boomers can get rich. You can also look at person who is green in this map as someone who is robbing from city and schools by not paying their fair share. If we don’t fix our broken and inequitable system we are going to have even more homelessness. History will not look fondly on this period of California
Comment by WeNeedMoreHomes — September 29, 2021 @ 8:04 am
Under the current system if your neighbor plants a for sale sign, you can look forward to new neighbors. Maybe I get will have kids or a dog. Without prop 13 you would be nervous for what kind of a price they get for their house. If they get $500,000 more than yours, then your taxes will go up by about $6000 per year. A million? Then it would be about $12000 more per year. You could plead for mercy, but the tax assessor would explain that he has no choice. It’s the law. Who would this hurt? Not the wealthy, but it would hurt School teachers, first responders, front line workers, trades people etc.
Comment by Ed Hirshberg — September 29, 2021 @ 11:11 pm
When your neighbor’s house sells that high, it means that you are much wealthier.
What you’re really saying here, Eddie Boy, is that new neighbor should pay tax based on his property value, but you should not. There’s absolutely no logic, fairness, or consistency about such a policy, but we all know that you’re about other paying paying, not you.
PS Fuck you, Ed
Comment by ...and the horse you rode in on — September 30, 2021 @ 6:49 am
Nice ageist comment. This struck me as I have an older friend who is dying.
I presume you don’t have retired or disabled parents on a fixed income facing rising costs of necessary medication and inflation while facing increasing medical issues. If you’re paying $4,000 or less then you bought your house ages ago, and are the same age as people like Sen. Feinstein (88), Dr. Fauci(80), President Biden (79), or Nancy Pelosi (80). As for opting out, it is allowed by law and is not a “robbery” any more than any deductions you took if you pay taxes.
I agree with you that history will not look “fondly” on this era, but for different reasons…
Comment by muchrespectforelders — September 29, 2021 @ 10:50 am
People 62 and over receive about half the federal budget in “entitlements,” which is just a lame euphemism for welfare. They are also the wealthiest age group by a substantial margin.
Pay.
Comment by face the facts — September 29, 2021 @ 11:05 am
I wonder how your grandparents feel about your hostility towards people over 62?
Comment by Karen Bey — September 29, 2021 @ 12:43 pm
They’ve passed on, but my octogenarian parents aren’t the type to calls facts “hostility.”
And they taught me to support schools and young people, to pay my way, and bee a decent citizen, so I doubt they’d take much issue.
(And I’m getting close to 62 myself)
Comment by Face facts — September 29, 2021 @ 1:11 pm
All this concern for seniors but absolutely no concern for struggling young families trying to hold on to their dream of raising their kids in the bay area. Passing Prop 15 last year would’ve been the way to balance out these two groups. Curious how you voted on that.
Comment by JRB — September 29, 2021 @ 9:33 pm
I am over 62, but pay way more than $4,000 in property taxes. The real solution is the reassessment of commercial properties. Instead, as in all things, we who earn hourly wages and salaries fight amongst each other.
Comment by 1jamesr1 — September 29, 2021 @ 1:25 pm
Prop 13 was never meant include commercial properties but at the last minute they were included. Last year Prop 15 was on the ballot to fix this by gradually introducing higher taxes for commercial properties (with some exemptions like family farms). It failed – can’t recall what the margin was. Just because it failed doesn’t mean we should give up looking at this issue.
Comment by saraholaes1 — September 29, 2021 @ 2:30 pm