I want to give you a heads-up about something that’s happening quietly at the County — because once it’s out in the open, it may already be too late.
Earlier this week, I warned you about a proposed half-cent sales tax being pushed by labor unions and their political allies.
Now, we’ve learned there’s even more.
Two of my colleagues, are pursuing multiple new taxes at the same time — all designed to extract more money from San Diego families.
First, they are working to dramatically raise the property transfer tax — the tax you pay when you sell a home.
Right now, the rate is limited to 55 cents per $500 of a home’s value.
They want to raise the limit to $30.55 per $500.
Let me put that in plain English:
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On an $800,000 home, the tax would jump from under $1,000 to nearly $50,000
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On a $1 million home, it would be more than $60,000
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For higher-value homes, it climbs even faster
That’s tens of thousands of dollars added to the cost of selling a home — overnight.
They’ll claim this isn’t a “property tax” and call it a Documentary Transfer Tax, but that’s wordplay. When you raise the cost of buying and selling homes, those costs get passed on to families, seniors, and renters.
At a time when housing is already unaffordable, this would:
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Push home prices even higher
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Make it harder for first-time buyers
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Punish seniors trying to downsize
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Drive rents up across the county
And instead of being honest with voters, they want to hire a lobbying firm to pressure Sacramento to change state law so they can do it.
At the same time, they’re also pushing to open the door to an entirely new tax: a local payroll tax.
A payroll tax hits every paycheck — either workers, employers, or both.
That means:
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Higher costs for small businesses
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Fewer jobs or lower wages
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Employers thinking twice about staying or expanding in San Diego
And remember: this is all happening together.
Labor unions are pushing a sales tax.
County leadership is pushing a property transfer tax.
And now they’re laying the groundwork for a payroll tax.
Sales taxes. Property taxes. Payroll taxes.
Not debated openly.
Not voted on yet.
But quietly advanced behind the scenes.
San Diegans are already stretched thin. Housing costs are out of control. Groceries, gas, utilities, and insurance keep going up.
The answer is not more taxes.
The answer is fiscal discipline, accountability, and respect for the people who are already paying the bills.
I will continue to speak out and shine a light on these quiet maneuvers — because you deserve to know what’s being planned before it hits your wallet.
Thank you for staying informed and engaged.