Borgeas Wildfire Property Tax Relief Bill Signed By Newsom
Sonora, CA — A piece of state legislation, praised by Calaveras County’s Assessor, has been signed into law.
Senate Bill 303 was introduced by Mother Lode Republican Senator Andreas Borgeas and helps those who lost homes in wildfires. Borgeas reports it extends the time period by two years for a taxpayer to transfer their base year value to a comparable property in the same county if their home was destroyed by a disaster.
Calaveras County Assessor, Leslie Davis, helped to advocate for the bill. She says, “In Calaveras County, the Butte Fire damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in September 2015. Almost immediately, displaced residents were renting or buying available property and what little supply that had existed was completely exhausted by the demand. When the five-year deadline to replace their home passed, those who have not been able to complete construction were also reeling from the effects of the COVID Shut Down. These property owners have been doubly hit by disaster; first a wildfire, then a pandemic. This proposal will help many regain a sense of normalcy.”
The bill was unanimously approved in both houses of the legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
