L.A. County Budget Tries to Account for Property Tax Shortfall

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L.A. County has unveiled a new budget filled with cuts and adjustments--but it doesn't account for many other very likely looming cash shortfalls.

The budget details--and the details the budget hasn't yet dealt with--from the Los Angeles Times's account:

Los Angeles County officials on Monday unveiled a $22.8-billion budget for the coming fiscal year that cuts $415 million from the current budget....Although county officials want to avoid layoffs, they warned that additional cuts probably will be needed this year depending on the economy and the state budget. The budget also fails to account for a $257-million shortfall in funding for health services, which health department officials are expected to address soon....

The budget accounts for a 1% drop in property assessments, but Fujioka said recent estimates show that is expected to more than triple to 3.3% during the coming fiscal year as more homeowners appeal their assessments. As a result, the county will probably have to adjust the budget in June to account for an additional $88.3 million in lost tax revenue.

County revenues are down across the board, including deed transfer taxes (down 31.3%), sales taxes (down about 6%) and interest earnings (down 56.8%). The proposed budget does not provide for that shortfall or $103 million in state budget cuts expected next fiscal year. ["L.A. County Budget unveils $22.8 billion for next fiscal year," L.A. Times]

County supervisors will begin deliberations on the budget on June 22, after public hearings that will begin May 13.

More details on the property tax shortfalls, for L.A. county and other southern California counties, can be found in this March L.A. Times story.

Proposition 13 is often blamed for California government revenue shortfalls because it limited the amount by which property taxes can be raised year by year. But this analysis, with number charts, from the San Diego Union Tribune's blog shows that on the statewide level:

since just after 13 took effect, total property tax revenue has increased 503 percent. During the same span, population has gone from 24 million to 38 million -- an increase of 58 percent. And over the same time span as the revenue data above, the Consumer Price Index -- which gauges inflation -- went from 88 to 203, a 131 percent increase.

So property tax revenue has gone up by more than double the combined rate of population increase and inflation since 13 took effect.

Lots of country budget documents and numbers available from the County itself at this site.

The image associated with this post was taken by Flickr user Davidagalvan. It was used under user Creative Commons license.

1 Comment

First and foremost we are a nation of laws, or as we are all anticipated? But years of previous administrations have neglected the illegal immigrant problem, to the detriment of American workers. Ever since the inception of the 1986 Immigration & Reform Act, signed into law by Ronald Reagan, the politicians have pushed for a new AMNESTY. In addition, anytime a new law has been drafted to combat the illegal immigrant occupation of our country, they have behind closed doors killed it or weakened it's enactment. The law of given instant citizenship to babies intentionally born here, is a complete misinterpretation of the 14th amendment, after the civil war that emancipated African slaves.

It was never meant for (Anchor Babies) to give pregnant illegal alien mothers the right to legal status? The law has been badly mauled because the children can then draw on US education, free medical care, free baby delivery and after care, low income housing and it is a route to many government handouts. The major problem now facing the Obama White House is are the children of illegal immigrants to blame for their parents breaking the law? Obviously the left-wingers are to blame for this conundrum, but both parties have added to neglect to the sovereign laws of our nation. I think we should follow other countries "Rule of Law" and cement in place that children who have proven themselves can go to a place of higher learning. We desperately need a wide scope of professionals in Engineering, Science and 21st Century technology. But also remember that our government settles the largest population of new immigrants on Earth. What we don't need is more poorly educated, non-English speaking, impoverished aliens, looking for handouts. Like other developed nations we must be very specific, who we pick and choose as new citizens.

We must also restrain ourselves from chain migration, who are liable to become a public charges, because the family sponsors have decided the US taxpayer should carry the financial weight? Biggest controversy must start with California--THE SANCTUARY STATE--that if you can sneak into America, the Angeleno's will keep illegal immigrants afloat with all the welfare they can collect? It 's not a joke to realize that since Proposition 187 that was derailed--never meant to be decided in the Supreme court , illegal aliens have been able take from legal people $$billions$$ in social services thanks to the mainly Liberal Sacramento Assembly. Then their is Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) is available to illegal immigrants even if they do not have a valid Social Security number. The EITC Earned Income Tax Credit is the most accessible of the major entitlement programs and used by more people than food stamps or Medicare and is badly abused to the tune of $47 billion dollars, without paying in a cent into the system

We can thank our corrupt liberal politicians, judges in the past as drafting a passive law, instead of entering America being a criminal offense. Now we have uncountable number of illegal aliens squatting here, because of the absolute intentional neglect of our lawmakers. Is there any other country in the world, that makes illegally crossing into their sovereign territory a Civil Crime--I really don't think so? Our laws deliberately drafted this way in favor of the open border, big Catholic church and special interest groups. To HXXX with the American people, who are forced to fight for their jobs?

But if American defeat the next Amnesty ready to pounce on the unsuspecting legal population, we must make an example in using the 1986 law. We as a people must build-on the E-Verify application, upgrade, modify to extract illegal job applicants from the workplace. Illegal immigrants who have overstayed visas, illegal crossed the border and children must be exempt from any pardon. All children of illegal parents that have committed crimes, been expelled or just deserted school should leave with parents in the usage of self-deportation. This is a compliance way to remove foreign nationals and any criminal businesses that employ them, must receive mandatory, fines, asset confiscation and prison terms. The use of a in-perpetuity E-Verify will be a ultimate deterrent and see movement of illegal labor and families packing and leaving under the term of "ATTRITION" We must force our reluctant politicians to be governed by--THE PEOPLE'S--WILL or face the dire consequences in the election process. This will surely happen when Sen. Reid, Speaker Pelosi and 48 other Senate lawmakers come up for re-election. They underfunded E-Verify, that obviously is working efficiently for them to kill it. Today I have heard Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano is approaching State governors to appeal the Real ID Act, that would add national standards for state-issued driver licenses and non-driver identification cards, Revising and tightening the laws on application for asylum and deportation of aliens for terrorist activity. That wouldWaiver laws that interfere with construction of physical barriers at the borders, to name a few statutes. So that means since the new Presidency, the Democratic run Congress are trying to revoke E-Verify and the Real ID act. My guess, is under this regime they will be rescinding the Federal program for State and local police called 247(g) that trains officers to arrest and detain illegal alien criminals.

The open border, free traders, special interest groups will use any contradictions, epithets, racial slurs to annul any new law--which they have done successfully up to now. But American should realize strongly, that this has nothing to do with a persons color, religion or ethnic background--and EVERYTHING--to do with being--CARTE BLANCHE--for parasite employers, who pay nothing to illegal immigrant upkeep? It's left to Taxpayers? Its everything to do with billions of dollars spent, to pacify the big Catholic church, a portion of Liberal voters and others who see nothing wrong in loading citizens, residents down with sky high taxes. Supposedly the last White House promised no thoughts of a Path to Citizenship until the border was orderly and closed to undesirable With another drafted and secret Amnesty on the House and Senate table, like always--this is not the case. Drug smuggling and incessant illegal immigration is still very prevalent. The rumors from the new White House are clearly signaling another push for AMNESTY?

So go to these sites: VDARE, FAIRUS, JUDICIALWATCH, NUMBERSUSA, AMERICANPATROL, CAPSWEB & ALIPAC. The stakes are sky high because Amnesty means, thousands more will swamp the border looking for yet a 3rd---AMNESTY.

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