San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is one of the few counties that correctly shows property taxes going to education on the Auditor-Controller's published information (his annual Property Tax Perspectives).  In 2013-14, he shows over $50 million (12.6% of all county property taxes, which is over 20% of San Luis Obispo County's education property taxes) is being redirected to satisfy the state's obligations. 

 

As a relatively low-population, high-property-wealth county, SLO is fortunate that only around a quarter of this diversion will remain unpaid to its schools at the end of this school year (June 2014).  $7,425,309 will remain unpaid to its K-12 districts, and over $4 million to its Community College District, according to the First Principal Apportionment.  (Lucia Mar Unified, which will wait for $2,556,857 after the end of the school year, and Atascadero Unified, $1,187,525, may not be completely cheerful, however this is a relief for them after years of deferrals, especially two summers ago when the school year ended with a total of $5,056,638 owing Lucia Mar and $3,700,039 owing Atascadero [and over $3 million owed to Paso Robles Joint Unified].)  The Second Principal Apportionment (announced later in the school year) may include up to 50% more in deferred payments, based on laws already in the statute books.

In San Luis Obispo County, a total of $48,266,301 was taken out of school-allocated property taxes to pay State obligations in 2010-2011.  $38,802,378  was redirected to satisfy the State's VLF backfill obligation.  $9,463,923 was redirected to pay for the State's 2004 Economic Recovery Bonds.  In 2011-12, the total was $48,292,404, consisting of $38,044,695 and $10,247,707, respectively.

 

Source:  State Controller's Office, Local Government Reporting Section.  (City and county detail shown in the reports, totals upon request from the SCO.)