ELECTION 2020: WHY IT MATTERS
YES on Proposition 15 & 19: to Increase Fire Protection Resources and Staffing
As firefighters, we are all too familiar with the increasing ferocity of wildfires in our state. Wildfire season is longer, increasingly dangerous, and more difficult to manage every year. Each of us is away from our families and on the line longer than ever before. The 2020 lightning complex fires made it abundantly clear that we don’t have enough firefighters or resources to effectively respond and manage the new normal for wildfires.
Proposition 15 and Proposition 19 will provide new revenue streams to increase resources and staffing for fire protection.
What Will Proposition 15 Do?
Proposition 15 will reclaim $7-12 billion every year for schools and local communities, including fire departments and districts by closing the corporate property tax loophole. Only 10% of commercial properties in the state will pay 92% of the projected revenue. Corporations will still benefit from lower property tax rates than Texas or New York. This ballot measure will strictly maintain Prop. 13 protections for all residential properties, apartments, small business properties worth $3 million or less, and agricultural land.
Who’s For It?
Teachers, Small Business Owners, Community Advocates, Interfaith Groups
Why Should Firefighters Support It?
$7-12 billion will be generated in new revenue
60% of the revenue will go to cities and counties, including fire departments and fire districts to increase staffing and resources.
40% of the remaining funds will go to schools and community colleges
What Will Proposition 19 Do?
Proposition 19 will remove unfair location restrictions on seniors, the disabled and wildfire victims by allowing them to transfer their existing property tax base rate to a replacement home anywhere in California. This will help increase housing stock and sales. The proposition will also close unfair tax loopholes exploited by wealthy out-of-state investors on vacation homes and rental properties. Proposition 19 will raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new local property taxes increasing to a billion dollars over time to fund local services. A majority of the state savings resulting from the increased property tax collections will go to historically underfunded rural and urban fire districts and CAL FIRE.
Who’s For It?
California Association of Realtors, California Impact Republicans, California Democratic Party, California Business Roundtable, California Senior Advocates League, Republican Assembly Leader and Democratic State Senate Leader.
Who’s Against It?
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association opposes closing the exploited tax loophole that would fund public safety and protect seniors, the disabled and wildfire victims from unfair taxes that often trap them in their non-functional homes.
Why Should Firefighters Support It?
Generates hundreds of millions and eventually billions in new revenue.
75% of all new revenue will go directly to the California Fire Response Fund
The California Fire Response Fund will direct 80% to fire districts and 20% to CAL FIRE
Why Do We Need Both Propositions 15 and 19?
Proposition 15 directly benefits fire departments and districts that are funded by commercial property taxes. Proposition 19 gets money to rural and urban fire districts that don’t have a property tax share or rate. Both propositions are needed to increase funding for a majority of departments and districts across the state.
CPF Proposition Recommendations
Prop 15: Yes
Prop 16: Yes
Prop 18: Yes
Prop 19: Yes
Prop 22: No
Prop 23: Yes
Prop 24: Yes
