CA Property Tax Exemption

07/04/2026

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, I want to wish you and your family a very Happy Fourth of July!
🇺🇸⏳
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Our nation has overcome tremendous challenges throughout its history because ordinary citizens chose to step forward and make a difference. I believe we are once again at a pivotal moment. While many things are working well, others clearly need our attention. The future of our communities, our state, and our nation depends on each of us doing our part to make tomorrow better than today.

That is why I have been fighting for California's seniors. The 60+ Property Tax Exemption Initiative (ExemptPropertyTax.com) was created to provide meaningful property tax relief and help seniors remain in the homes and communities they helped build.

Unfortunately, we did not collect enough valid signatures by the deadline to qualify the initiative for the November 2026 ballot. While this is disappointing, it has only strengthened our resolve. We are not giving up—we are already preparing for 2028.

Gathering nearly one million valid signatures across a state as large as California is an enormous undertaking. In California during the 2026 initiative cycle, the market rate for professional signature gathering is between $8 to $15. Yes, for each signature!

Today, qualifying a statewide initiative typically requires either a multi-million-dollar campaign or an extraordinary statewide volunteer network. The cost of professional signature gathering has become so high that citizen-led initiatives face a steep uphill battle.

But this is not the end.

We intend to return with the initiative for the 2028 ballot. The current Secretary of State process makes it exceptionally difficult for grassroots movements that lack the financial backing of wealthy donors or special interests. Even so, I remain convinced that California seniors deserve meaningful property tax relief, and I believe this cause is too important to abandon.

Many worthwhile reforms begin long before they become widely accepted. Real change requires patience, perseverance, and the courage to keep moving forward after disappointment.

THANK YOU! Every person who donated, every volunteer who gave their time, every Californian who signed our petition, and every supporter who shared our message helped build awareness that did not exist before. That foundation will continue to grow. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Whether people ultimately agree or disagree with our proposal, I hope we can all agree on one thing: California owes its seniors an honest conversation about affordability, fiscal responsibility, and ensuring that those who spent a lifetime building our communities can continue to live in them with dignity.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in this effort. Your encouragement, your trust, and your friendship made every mile traveled, every signature collected, and every long day worthwhile. I may have been the face of this initiative, but this movement belongs to every one of you.

As we celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, let us remember that democracy is not a spectator sport. It has always been shaped by ordinary citizens who refused to give up. I hope you will continue this journey with me as we work toward placing this initiative before the voters in 2028.

Together, we can make a difference.

Land of Free for 250 yrs… and counting! 🎆🎇
So very thankful and blessed to be an American! 🇺🇸

With gratitude!

Rishi Kumar

07/02/2026

07/02/2026

go USMNT
Let's win this!

06/27/2026

Your Nextdoor poll would look like this

06/27/2026

We're trying to gauge the level of public support for our property tax exemption ballot initiative.

Could you please post the poll below on your local Nextdoor neighborhood and share the results with us?

Here's the poll: Copy this message below and post on Nextdoor
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Poll Question on CA Property Taxes:

Dear neighbors,
Would you support a California property tax exemption for homeowners aged 60 and older?

Yes, I support it.

No, I oppose it.

I don't care / No opinion.

If you decide to participate, leave a one-line comment explaining why you are for or against the proposal. For more information about the proposed ballot initiative, please visit exemptpropertytax.com and read our op-ed piece.

Sincerely,
Your name

06/27/2026

MY PERSONAL STORY
(Sent by Yvonne of Murrieta CA)
After retiring, I believed that my pension, Social Security, and military benefits would allow me to live comfortably and enjoy the home I worked so hard to purchase.
Like many seniors, I quickly learned that the cost of living continues to rise while my income remains relatively fixed.
Living on approximately $5,400 per month may sound manageable to some, but once my mortgage, utilities, insurance, healthcare costs, groceries, vehicle expenses, and other necessary bills are paid, there is very little left to save for major expenses such as property taxes, home repairs, or unexpected emergencies.
Property taxes present a unique challenge for seniors. While home values may increase, our income often does not. We are expected to pay higher taxes based on the value of our homes, even though we are not receiving additional income to cover those increases.
Many seniors are not asking for a free ride. We are simply asking for fairness. After spending decades working, paying taxes, raising families, serving our communities, and in many cases serving our country, we should not have to worry about whether we can afford to remain in the homes we have worked a lifetime to own.
For me, the issue is not whether I am willing to pay my fair share. The issue is that living on a fixed retirement income leaves little room to absorb rising property taxes while also maintaining a mortgage and keeping up with the everyday expenses of life. Seniors should not have to choose between staying in their homes and maintaining their financial stability.
WHY IS PROPERTY TAX UNFAIR TO SENIORS
Many seniors feel property taxes can be unfair because property taxes are based on the value of a home, not necessarily on the homeowner's ability to pay.
1. Fixed Income vs. Rising Taxes
Many retirees live on fixed incomes from Social Security, pensions, or retirement savings. When home values rise, property taxes often rise too, even though the senior's income may not.
Example:
A retiree may have purchased a home for $150,000 years ago that is now worth $700,000. Their property tax bill can increase significantly despite having no increase in income.
2. Being Taxed on an Unrealized Gain
Seniors often argue they are being taxed on paper wealth. Their home may be worth much more than when they bought it, but they haven't actually received any money from that increase unless they sell.
3. Risk of Being Forced Out
In areas with rapidly increasing property values, some seniors worry they could eventually be priced out of homes they have lived in for decades because they cannot afford the taxes.
4. Long-Term Homeowners Feel They've "Already Paid"
Many seniors have paid property taxes for 30–50 years and believe they have already contributed substantially to local services, schools, and infrastructure.
5. Benefits May Not Match Usage
Some retirees feel they pay significant taxes toward services they no longer use directly, such as public schools. Others argue that everyone benefits from strong schools and community services, regardless of age. See less

06/27/2026

Why a property tax exemption for seniors is critically important - explained by Ed, a Los Gatos resident.
"We've worked very hard saved, invested, and paid the incredible price to own our homes here in California In spite of being taxed for our entire lives when we made our money at the highest rate in the nation, paying taxes when we spend our money for essentials like gas, electricity, communication services, insurance, etc..
This tax revenue was then allegedly spent on "public programs" like hospice care and ending the homeless but the hospice care doesn't exist and homelessness has increased. The California government has proven time and time again they have no efficiencies, monitoring or measuring systems to ensure our extremely hard-earned tax dollars are not being wasted into thin air on criminals who would game the system like robber barons.
At a time when seniors are slowing down and watching the next generation work the jobs that we provided the platform to create, It makes no sense that we're further penalized with continued taxes to live in the homes we've already paid for so many times over with the ever-increasing property taxes over the decades.
Now it's looking like due to shortsightedness and further government mismanagement social security will be drying up in 2032. Homelessness for those over 50 is the fastest growing segment of the unhoused.
Let's finally give these hardworking folks, who have done nothing but contribute contribute and contribute to the general warfare of others, a break and allow them to live in the homes they've paid for, without the additional burden of carrying the rest of the country further.
Abolish property tax for seniors over 60 and begin tracking all of these tax dollars with proper systems like the non-government sector is required to use to be sure every dollar is spent effectively and it will no doubt more than offset the expected revenue from taxing properties of those over 60."