Proposition 13 was a multipronged attack designed by businessman-activist Howard Jarvis and his supporters to do two things: ease the overall tax burden and protect a stable culture of homeownership. To that end, it set tax rates at 1% of a property’s sale price and capped annual increases at no more than 2%. Then it required future tax hikes of any form to pass the state Legislature by a two-thirds vote. “The most important thing in this country is not the school system, nor the police department nor the fire department,” Jarvis declared after his ballot box victory. “The right to have property in this country, the right to have a home in this country, that’s important.”

Source: Los Angeles Times June 04, 2018 11:03 UTC