I am writing to every independent newspaper in LA County regarding Measure FD., which will be on the ballot in the upcoming election.
If Measure FD passes, it will assess a six cents per square foot on every parcel in Los Angeles County.
I did the math and I am horrified. Every single acre in Los Angeles County would be taxed $2,613.60. Do the math. An acre is 43,560 square feet.
If this measure passes, it will absolutely devastate thousands of rural homeowners and businesses. Malibu, and the surrounding area, has many ranch homes, and this will impact all of them. I live on five acres in San Francisquito Canyon, an unincorporated area north of the city of Santa Clarita. This is my home, not a business. My late husband and I bought the land in 1981, built a home and raised our family here. My 2019 property tax bill is $5,328.97. The annual Measure FD tax on five acres will be $13,068. Paying for Measure FD would cost $7,739.03 more than my entire property tax bill is now.
Everyone loves the fire department, and I am afraid this measure will pass handily. No one, it seems, is even talking about it, and the devastating effect it will have on rural residents and those with acreage.
Gone will be horse ranches, no more boarding facilities where people can keep a horse or kids can take riding lessons. Gone too, nurseries, small farmers, any business that has a large piece of property. Worst of all, ranches like mine will become unsalable. The increase in property tax due to the sale, plus the annual tax for Measure FD, will make the property tax on all parcels over an acre astronomical. I hope The Malibu Times will look into this measure and what its impact will be on the residents of your readership area. We only have about five weeks before the election. People deserve to know how this measure will affect them.
Judy Reinsma