California Has 14 Propositions, 2 Statewide Tax-Increases, and 273 Local Tax Increases on Nov Ballot

California Voters are facing 14 propositions, two statewide tax-increase measures, and 273 tax increases on local ballots across the state November 3rd.

The California Taxpayers Association reports:

The measures propose $3 billion in direct taxes (sales tax, parcel tax, etc.), along with $19.5 billion in bonds that would require residents to pay higher property taxes for several decades, until the bonds are repaid with interest.

On the statewide ballot, there are two tax-increase measures, Propositions 3 and 40, plus 5 local tax measures in my hometown of Sacramento.

Statewide, on every California ballot are:

• Proposition 3: Makes permanent the temporary higher income-tax rates on high earners (originally from Prop 30 in 2012, extended by Prop 55). These rates (roughly 10.3–12.3% on income above about $360,000 single / $720,000 joint) would otherwise expire around 2031. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explicitly describes a “Yes” vote as making “an income tax increase on high-income earners… permanent.” Revenue estimate: $5–15 billion per year, mostly for education.
• Proposition 40: Imposes a new one-time tax of up to 5% on the net worth (covered assets) of individuals/trusts over $1 billion. Revenue is projected in the tens of billions over several years, primarily for healthcare.

Proposition 30 was Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2012 tax increase, and sold to voters as “temporary.” Prop 30 “temporarily” raised personal income tax rates on high earners and the state sales tax, creating a combined top marginal rate of 13.3%. The “temporary” income tax changes were later extended by Proposition 55 (2016) through 2030; Proposition 3 on the November 2026 ballot would make them permanent. Prop 30 created California’s current high-earner marginal rates of 10.3%, 11.3%, and 12.3% (plus the 1% surcharge over $1 million).

That was the plan all along.

For Prop 40, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates it would raise tens of billions of dollars over several years by taxing worldwide covered assets including businesses, securities, art, collectibles, and intellectual property. 

Competing measures Props 41 and 42 could block or limit Prop 40 if they receive more votes, even if Prop 40 passes.

Other statewide measures touch taxes but are not increases:

• Props 41, 42, and 43 generally make new taxes harder to pass, require audits, or limit certain wealth/personal-property taxes.
• Props 1 and 38 are bond measures (housing and immunology research). Bonds are repaid with interest and can lead to higher future property or other taxes, but they are not direct tax-rate increases like the two above.

Bonds are repaid with interest through property taxes above Proposition 13’s 1% limit and can last for decades.

Local measures in Sacramento County, according to the California Taxpayers Association, Sacramento County has these tax-related items:

• Measure M (Sacramento City Unified School District): New $95 annual parcel tax (with inflation adjustments) for special education/early intervention. Sacramento City Unified is perpetually teetering on insolvency.
• Measure D (Natomas Unified): ~$300 million school bond (property-tax levy to repay).
• Measure E (Center Joint Unified): ~$197 million school bond.
• Measure G (Galt Joint Union High): ~$43 million school bond.
• Measure H (Los Rios Community College District): ~$1.1 billion bond.

Across the state, California has an unusually high number of tax-related propositions this cycle. CalTax reports 273 local tax or bond measures across the cities and counties that would raise taxes if passed. 

CalTax reports that “the tax with the largest projected cost to taxpayers is the San Francisco Bay Area’s Measure RTM – a $980 million sales tax that would increase the rate by 0.5 percent in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, and 1 percent in San Francisco, with revenue earmarked for public transportation spending.

The next most expensive proposal is a San Diego County sales tax projected to cost taxpayers $400 million a year.”

San Francisco has local measures lettered A–J plus the regional Measure RTM.

The clear tax increases are:

• Proposition H: A new 15-year parcel tax to fund Muni (SFMTA) operations. Rates start at $129 for most single-family homes and scale higher based on property type/size (up to caps of $50,000–$400,000 for larger parcels). Estimated to raise ~$177 million per year.
• Regional Measure RTM (Connect Bay Area Act): A 14-year sales tax increase of 1% in San Francisco (0.5% in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties). Projected to raise about $980 million regionally annually for transit (Muni, BART, Caltrain, etc.). It is the largest single local tax measure highlighted by CalTax.
• Proposition J: Expands the existing real property transfer tax by removing the longstanding foreclosure/deed-in-lieu exemption for most commercial, industrial, and larger multifamily (5+ units) properties (small residential remains exempt). It does not change rates but applies the tax (0.5%–6% depending on value) to previously exempted transfers. The Controller estimates $100–150 million in average annual additional revenue over the first five years (highly variable with the real estate market).

The full list of local tax measures is available on the CalTax website.