Proposition 13 was placed on the California ballot in the 1970’s in reaction to the rise in California’s property values and property taxes. The values of homes in California by the mid 1970’s rose from 50 to 100 percent within one year. This rise caused a financial strain on California. Because of the strain California was ready for a change. The change was proposed by two individuals who were antitax activists: Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann. Both individuals had a history of activism within the Republican Party. They drafted the petition for a ballot initiative that would put limits on the amount of the appraised value of a property could be increased from year to year. (California Voters Approve Proposition 13: 1978)
The official …show more content…
The homeowner saw a drop in their property-taxes. The drop caused the revenue for local governments by more than half, which then created park closures, denial of medical and welfare services to residents. Furthermore, the schools had to start teacher dismissals, elimination of summer programs and advance classes. (War by initiative; Proposition 13)
One of the changes California saw was within the schools. The education system in California during the 1960s was ranked amount the top within the nation. But soon after the decrease in revenue, the ranking dropped. The state soon found itself ranking around forty-eighth nationally. Even though there are many other factors that caused the state to rank so low, the decrease started with the passing of Prop. 13. (War by initiative; Proposition 13)
There are many Californians who have opposed the proposition, they felt it would cause cities, counties and schools to fail, it did not. The state had accumulated enough surpluses in their budget, that they were able to offer a bail out to local governments. This was done by giving the local governments the amounts that had been lost in property-tax revenue. The transfer that was given created a financing system that would have the remaining property-tax revenues to be distributed by Sacramento via the legislature. (War by initiative; Proposition …show more content…
This was a 75 percent increase above inflation. Even the state tax revenues grew. This growth was from 11 to 12 percent. (Proposition 13 Then, Now and Forever)
Another factor supporting this proposition is the effect it has had on the occupancy of owners and renters within the state. The tenancy within the state has remained stable, which has led to an increase in the average of the tenancy of California households relative to the households of other states. The average increased in California by 1.04 and .79 years from 1970 to 2000. This is a 10 and 19 percent increase in the average. (The Lock-in Effect of California's Proposition 13)
It has also effected mobility within the state. For example, the largest areas that have been affected are in the states coastal cities. These areas are where the property values have been the largest. The average tenancy length from 1970 to 2000 grew by one year within the inland cities, but with more than 2 years in areas such as Los Angeles. Areas such as the Bay Area experienced a three year growth. Because of the continuity and stability that has been achieved, some feel it has been worth the loss in tax-revenue. (The Lock-in Effect of California's Proposition