Proposition 72 is a rare, commonsense tax relief proposal coming out of Sacramento. As such, we recommend voters approve it.
Currently, homeowners who install rainwater capture systems in their yards face higher property tax bills, which effectively punishes Californians for being responsible and storing water.
Proposition 72, which originated in the Legislature as SCA9 and was unanimously moved through for placement on the ballot earlier this year, seeks to correct this problem.
Simply put, the state constitutional amendment proposes exempting the construction or addition of rainwater-capturing systems from required property-tax reassessments. In other words, Californians will no longer be punished with higher property taxes just because they sought to do the right thing.
Backed by groups as diverse as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the Democratic Party, Proposition 72 would effectively provide the same sort of protections from excessive taxation currently provided to property owners who install rooftop solar panels.
Given California’s recent experiences with drought and water shortages, removing penalties for saving water only makes sense. “Storing and reusing rainwater benefits all of us,” argues state Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, David Lewis from Save the Bay and Howard Penn from the Planning and Conservation League in the official ballot arguments.
“People should not have to pay a tax penalty for conserving water.”
There are no serious arguments to be made against Proposition 72. For those peculiar few out there who might be worried about how much less money government might get as a result of exempting construction of rainwater storage from property tax reassessments, the fiscal effects are expected to be minimal.
A legislative analysis of the measure suggests “property tax revenue losses probably would be minor, not exceeding a few million dollars per year.” As a means of removing a penalty to property owners who might want to capture rainwater and thereby encouraging others to do it, we think it’s clearly worth it.
Vote Yes on Proposition 72, a rare piece of bipartisan tax relief out of Sacramento.
