Unfair State Water Tax

By Gary Kremen

Many property owners currently pay a tax for water they don't even receive -- something I would like to change.

Estimated Yearly Taxes You Paid For No Water Palo Alto $1,731,000 Mountain View (90% residents pay) $1,216,000 Los Altos Hills (60% residents pay) $252,000 Total $3,199,000

This lower cost water could also be blended or used as backup in the drought. State Water, which is the drinking water for the rest of the Water District, costs much less than the current water supply.

The District has stonewalled us taxpayers for years and years on the tax. We only receive at best minimal other benefits in lieu of State Water. In summary subsidize other areas of the District without getting material benefits.

One of the action items I have pursued as President of the Purissima Hills Water District is accelerate legal research into overturning the unfair tax. I helped get Palo Alto back the discussions, reached out to Mountain View and Stanford to put together a coalition again the unfair tax.

These taxes will go up considerably if a new state water bond passes! Right now the average $1m home pays $72 per year, this likely more than double if the water bond passes. The Water District is now saying that this is rise to $120 per year if not higher without a vote of the people.

I WILL ADVOCATE THAT THE AFFECTED AREAS RECEIVE SOME OF THE FOLLOWING FOR TAXES:

• Enhanced water conservation funds;
• Additional funding for installation of recycled water infrastructure;
• Funding of local non-profits;
• * Improving grant application and associated processes;
• * Too much paperwork vs. size of project
• * Too much reporting requirements vs. size of project
• * Restoration and stewardship should be 3 + 5 years grants, not 1 year grant
• Extra flood control resources
• Get existing projects on the books actually built;
• Additional restoration creek funding