{"id":2044837,"date":"2023-09-26T08:39:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T12:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oakland-property-taxes-among-highest-in-california-residents-frustrated\/"},"modified":"2023-09-26T08:43:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T12:43:00","slug":"oakland-property-taxes-among-highest-in-california-residents-frustrated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oakland-property-taxes-among-highest-in-california-residents-frustrated\/","title":{"rendered":"High property taxes in Oakland, California leave residents frustrated."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Foakland-property-taxes-among-highest-in-california-residents-frustrated%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2044837&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Residents of Oakland,\u200b California, Demand Better Services Despite High Property\u200b Taxes<\/h2>\n<p>Despite paying higher property taxes than many other areas in California, some Oakland, California, residents say \u200bthe services received are not reflective of the money collected.<\/p>\n<p>With an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/property-taxes-climb-3-6-percent-across-u-s-to-339-8-billion\/\" title=\"Property Taxes Climb 3.6 Percent Across U.S. to 9.8 Billion\">average property tax<\/a> of approximately 1.38 percent, only a handful of cities\u2019 rates are higher.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur taxes are higher than in cities that are doing good,\u201d longtime Oakland resident Gerald Walker told\u200c The Epoch Times. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make\u200c any sense. Why are our streets so bad, and\u2063 why don\u2019t we have money for \u200dthe police if\u2062 we\u2019re paying all this money \u200bin?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/community-leaders-hold-oakland-got-nothing-press-conference-after-city-failed-to-apply-for-retail-theft-grants-5494729?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Community Leaders Hold \u2018Oakland Got Nothing\u2019 Press Conference After City Failed to Apply for Retail \u200bTheft Grants<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/19\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/community-leaders-hold-oakland-got-nothing-press-conference-after-city-failed-to-apply-for-retail-theft-grants-5494729?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/hundreds-frustrated-by-rising-crime-in-california-city-excluded-from-community-safety-meeting-5491680?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Hundreds\u200c Frustrated by Rising Crime in\u2063 California City Excluded\u200b From &#8216;Community Safety&#8217; Meeting<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/14\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/hundreds-frustrated-by-rising-crime-in-california-city-excluded-from-community-safety-meeting-5491680?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>With crime impacting the area in\u2062 what is described as unprecedented levels of robberies, home invasions, and carjackings, some taxpayers and\u200c city officials \u200care at odds with how to\u200b proceed\u2014with a recent, missed opportunity\u200c to secure millions of dollars in grant money for police funding at the\u200c center \u200dof the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/community-leaders-hold-oakland-got-nothing-press-conference-after-city-failed-to-apply-for-retail-theft-grants-5494729\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">debate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Property \u2064taxes typically fund local services, like street\u2064 repairs, police and fire department allocations, and support for schools, libraries, and parks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re out here wondering why our schools are \u200bfailing, our city is trashed, and nobody seems to care,\u201d Mr. Walker said. \u201cThey keep taking our money, but we have nothing to show for\u200c it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Tax \u200drates vary and are determined by property location and which school district is \u2063nearby. Districts also levy taxes based on measures and bonds<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">\u2014<\/span>for community projects.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRates can vary throughout the city, because\u200b different districts serve the area,\u201d Trina Caballero, tax analysis specialist with the Alameda County Tax Assessor, told The Epoch Times by email Sept. 21. \u201cLevying districts are responsible\u200d for\u2063 calculating those amounts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Such differences account for a range from 1.19 to 1.44 percent in the city, with \u2064the\u2062 majority\u200d of properties falling in districts charging approximately 1.38 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Bonds \u2063for the Oakland Unified School District and \u2062Peralta Community College account for more\u2062 than .14 percent, with .02 percent for public\u200b transportation and parks, while \u2062the city adds .2 percent to the tax, according to city \u200dtax records.<\/p>\n<p>Some exemptions exist for low-income homeowners, seniors, nonprofits, religious organizations, schools, and others.<\/p>\n<p>Housing affordability remains an \u200dissue in \u2064Oakland, \u200dwith an average home price of more than $800,000\u2014down nearly 9 percent over last year, according\u200c to online real estate listing firm Zillow.<\/p>\n<p>Homeowners purchasing at\u2063 such a price would pay approximately $11,000 annually in property taxes and special \u200cassessments, calculated at the average tax\u2064 rate.<\/p>\n<p>All other cities in Alameda County\u2014where Oakland is located\u2014have lower property tax\u2062 rates, including Berkeley\u2014averaging 1.21 percent\u2014and Alameda\u2064 at 1.18 \u200bpercent.<\/p>\n<p>Purchasing a similarly\u200c priced home elsewhere in the county would\u2063 save a homeowner approximately $1,600 annually in property taxes, as compared to Oakland, based \u200bon\u200b current rates.<\/p>\n<p>Estimated to account for 4 percent of homeowners\u2019 annual\u200d income in Alameda County, property tax contributes \u2064to the housing affordability \u200ddilemma, according to experts.<\/p>\n<p>Compared to Oakland, most other areas in California offer significantly lower \u2063property tax rates\u2014including Irvine \u2063in Orange County at just over 1.03 \u200dpercent and Santa Barbara and Los Angeles each hovering near 1.2 percent.<\/p>\n<p>On \u200cthe other end of the \u200cspectrum, Riverside County in Southern California is home to a wide range of tax rates, including the highest \u200din the state\u2014Desert Hot Springs at nearly 2.3\u200b percent.<\/p>\n<p>Homeowners in California are protected from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinas-trade-surplus-hits-annual-record-in-2021-saw-double-digit-growth-in-exports-every-month\/\" title=\"China\u2019s Trade Surplus Hits Annual Record in 2021 \u2014 Saw Double-Digit Growth in Exports Every Month\">property tax increases<\/a> by Proposition 13\u2014passed by voters in 1978 limiting\u2062 the tax to\u2064 1 percent of sales price plus\u200c up to 2 percent \u2063annual increases\u2014but subsequent measures passed by voters can \u2062increase taxes for all homes in the\u2062 area, typically by a fraction of a percentage\u200d point for school or local infrastructure bonds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How can Oakland officials address the lack of accountability and transparency in the allocation of tax dollars?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  5 percent of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-the-state-with-the-highest-real-estate-property-taxes-in-2022\/\" title=\"New Jersey the State With the Highest Real Estate Property Taxes in 2022\">property tax rate<\/a>, \u2064while\u2063 other districts levy additional taxes for specific purposes, such as \u2063parks or infrastructure improvements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"py-4 px-2 border-t border-b border-[#D1D1D1]\">\n<h3 class=\"my-5 font-bold\">Lack\u200b of\u200b Accountability<\/h3>\n<p>While property owners understand that taxes are \u200cnecessary to fund essential services, they are frustrated with what they perceive as a lack of accountability and transparency regarding how their tax dollars are being used.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe \u200chave \u2064no idea where our tax money \u200dis going,\u201d said Oakland resident Angela Johnson. \u201cThere needs to be more transparency and oversight to ensure that the money is being allocated appropriately and effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Residents \u200dargue \u200bthat despite the high tax rates, they\u2063 continue to\u200b experience a\u200c lack of basic services in their neighborhoods. For example, many roads in \u2064Oakland are riddled \u200dwith potholes, making driving hazardous and \u2062damaging residents&#8217; vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the city&#8217;s crime rate has reached alarming levels, with frequent reports of thefts, burglaries, and \u2064violent crimes. Residents feel that adequate police funding is crucial to address these issues, but they \u2063question why the city \u200dhas failed to secure grant money that could have bolstered the police\u2064 force.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-5 font-bold\">Missed Opportunities<\/h3>\n<p>One of the most \u2063significant points of contention is the \u2062recent missed \u2064opportunity to\u2064 secure grant money for police funding. \u200cOakland failed to apply for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oakland-property-taxes-among-highest-in-california-residents-frustrated\/\" title=\"High property taxes in Oakland, California leave residents frustrated.\">retail theft grants worth millions<\/a> \u200dof dollars, which could have provided much-needed \u2062resources to combat the\u200c rising crime rate.<\/p>\n<p>This mistake has sparked\u200c outrage among residents and community leaders who\u200c believe that the city&#8217;s negligence has resulted in a direct failure to prioritize \u200dpublic safety.<\/p>\n<p>Community leaders \u200dheld \u200da press conference under the banner &#8220;Oakland Got Nothing,&#8221; drawing attention\u200c to the missed opportunity and calling for \u200cgreater accountability from city officials. They assert that\u2063 the consequences of this oversight are \u2064being felt by Oakland residents who are living in fear and \u200dare demanding immediate action.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-5 font-bold\">The Way Forward<\/h3>\n<p>To address the concerns raised by \u200bOakland residents, city officials must\u200b prioritize\u2064 transparency and accountability in the allocation of\u200d tax dollars. Establishing clear\u200c guidelines and\u2064 mechanisms \u200bfor tracking how funds are \u200cused will help build public\u200b trust and ensure that money is allocated where it is most needed.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the city should explore alternative sources of funding \u200dto supplement property taxes. This \u2063could include pursuing partnerships with private businesses, seeking\u200c state or federal grants, or implementing targeted taxes\u200d for \u200cspecific purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the \u200ccity \u2064must\u200c actively engage\u2064 with residents and community organizations \u2062to assess their needs\u2063 and priorities. \u2062By involving\u200c the\u200c community in decision-making processes, city officials can better understand \u2064the issues and concerns \u200bthat require immediate attention.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the \u2063residents of Oakland expect \u200dtheir tax dollars to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite paying higher property taxes than many other areas in California, some Oakland residents feel that the services they receive do not match the amount of money collected. With an average property tax rate of around 1.38 percent, only a few cities have higher rates. Longtime residents of Oakland express frustration, stating that their taxes are higher compared to cities that are performing well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1905,"featured_media":2044838,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2044837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1905"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2044837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2044838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2044837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2044837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2044837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}