Cluelessness about tax measure she voted to put on the ballot shows she lacks knowledge to lead a city of 450,000 people.
police staffing. A city where, despite strong general fund tax revenues, leaders keep coming back to voters every election year for new tax hikes.
Thao boasts that four years on the City Council and four prior years serving as policy director and then chief of staff for Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan have prepared her to be mayor. Yet, when asked about Measure U, Thao was clueless.CLICK HERE if you’re viewing on a mobile device. Thao even seemed uncertain about how voter-approved bond measures work. Asked how they are usually paid off, she responded, “City revenue.” Nope. Voter-approved bond measures such as Measure U require property tax increases to pay off the debt.Thao wants to lead the Bay Area’s third-largest city. Voters deserve a mayor who understands the basics of taxes that city residents are being asked to pay. It should be bare-minimum knowledge to qualify for the job.
City officials estimate that the property tax to pay off the Measure U bonds would be an average $67.35 per $100,000 of assessed value and last about 40 years. For a home with an average assessed value of about $500,000, that works out to about $337 per year. Thao also said that Measure U would not raise taxes because it was a renewal, at “the same amount,” of Measure KK, approved by voters in 2016 also to fund roads and housing. “They’re not raising taxes because it’s already an ongoing tax on it right now. It’s just a renewal, right.”