San Juan Bautista council members are getting ready to take up some fairly hot topics – Proposition 13 and fracking.
The Mission City’s council members at their meeting this month talked about supporting a State Assembly bill aimed at amending Prop. 13, the highly debated property tax legislation enacted in 1978 that limits property tax increases to 1 percent annually unless there is a change of ownership or new construction involved. Council members also indicated they would discuss hydraulic fracturing in light of the Measure J initiative on the November ballot aiming to ban fracking, other forms of extraction and all petroleum activities in rural residential zones near the two cities.
Council members asked that both items be brought back for consideration at the next meeting in October.
Much of their discussion at last week’s council meeting was about the Prop. 13 bill from Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, and Raul Bocanegra, D-Pacoima. The bill would amend a provision in Prop. 13 for the first time by eliminating an exemption for some commercial real estate and solar-related properties.
City officials like those in San Juan believe the change could mean more revenue.
“It seems pretty straightforward and pretty explanatory and pretty worthwhile to support,” Councilman Rick Edge said.
But the proposed change reminded Councilwoman Jolene Cosio about a cement plant forced to leave town due to environmental regulations.
“If it had to leave because of something like this, that can hurt a small city like us,” she said. “So I’m just not sure that this is the right answer.”
