Property Tax

The small working-class city of Bell not only paid officials the highest salaries in the state: Residents also pay the highest property tax rates of all but one of Los Angeles County's 88 cities, county tax records show. The records appear to confirm complaints by Bell residents who have expressed outrage that they seemed to be paying excessive taxes at the same time the city was paying its top administrator nearly $800,000 and council members were paying themselves nearly $100,000.

Chongqing, a sprawling southwestern municipality in China about the size of Maine, may soon introduce the nation's first property tax. The plan, which was reported in state media Sunday, would be aimed at high-end housing. It's the latest measure by Beijing to slow rising housing prices that are sowing discontent among ordinary Chinese. The report said the tax could be unveiled in the next three months, but it did not define "high-end housing" or explain how the plan would work.

Orange County property owners have until midnight tonight to pay the second installment on property taxes or face a late charge. Taxpayers who prefer to pay in person can visit the Tax Collector's Public Information Office in the Hall of Finance and Records, 12 Civic Center Plaza, Room G-58. Those who want more information can call the Treasurer-Tax Collector's office at (714) 834-3411. Last-minute taxpayers also have the option of mailing their taxes, but John M.W.

State lawmakers offered a proposal Wednesday to allow refunds of excess property taxes to Bell's overcharged residents, but were divided over how far the state should go in the waning days of the legislative session to prevent cities from approving exorbitant salaries and benefits in the future. Bell's interim city manager, Pedro Carrillo, and interim City Atty. Jamie Casso met behind closed doors with a dozen lawmakers in the state Capitol to brief them on their investigation into former city officials' salaries and other financial arrangements.

A Sacramento County Superior Court judge Wednesday ruled against a group of California cities in their battle with the state over hundreds of millions of property tax dollars that used to flow to local redevelopment agencies. Judge Timothy M. Frawley said he would not grant the request from Glendale, Pasadena, Huntington Beach and other cities for an injunction that would have prevented the payout of property taxes on Friday to schools and counties. Cities believe some of the money belongs to them and should be used to pay for such projects as parks, affordable housing and freeway intersections that had been agreed upon before Gov. Jerry Brown won his battle to eliminate California's 400 municipal redevelopment agencies late last year.

Fearful of an U.S.-style real estate collapse, China has doused the country's sizzling housing market with new rules aimed at cooling property speculation. The measures, which include raising minimum down payments and restricting purchases of second homes, are already forcing investors to the sidelines. May home sales in Beijing and Shanghai plunged 70% compared with April, while transactions in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen were down 62% over the same period, according to government statistics.

The Chicago City Council, facing a budget shortfall that Mayor Harold Washington said would force him to lay off 11,000 city workers, approved an $80-million property tax increase Wednesday. The tax measure had been narrowly defeated earlier this month, prompting Washington to make the layoff threat. It would have involved 5,000 police officers, as well as firefighters, garbage collectors and other city employees.

Today is the deadline for the second installment of this year's Ventura County property taxes. The treasurer-tax collector's office asks taxpayers to mail the second installment payment stub with their check. Payments postmarked on or before today will be considered on time. A certificate of mailing will be accepted as proof of timely submission. State law imposes a 10% penalty for late payments.

Obviously Mr. Ackerman is not one of those "any rational person(s)" to whom he refers. Mr. Ackerman does not present any support whatsoever for his contention that property taxes should be based on current market value. Why should they? Taxes are levied to pay for the costs of providing our city and county services. Mr. Ackerman, therefore, seems to be suggesting that these costs rise (and fall?) in concert with the changes in market value of one's home or other real property.