By: Marcos Breton
The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board has endorsed Sen. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican, for the California State Board of Equalization’s District 1 seat. The little-known but powerful tax commission oversees property assessments across all 58 California counties.
Here are key takeaways:
- The California State Board of Equalization is the only publicly elected tax commission in the United States. It oversees about 13 million property assessments each year.
- In fiscal year 2023-24, the net statewide assessed value was $8.6 trillion, contributing $51.1 billion to schools and $44.2 billion to counties, cities and special districts.
- Grove, 61, is a U.S. Army veteran, the first woman veteran elected to the Assembly and is being termed out after a decade-plus in the Legislature. She co-founded a staffing company called Continental Labor and Staffing Resources.
- District 1 spans 34 counties and 61% of California’s landmass, running from the Oregon border to San Bernardino County. The Bee says Grove’s legislative experience and relationships with local assessors make her ready for the job’s complexity.
- Grove’s chief opponent is Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza, who has a strong academic background in economics but appeared less certain about how the board could address key issues.
This article originally appeared in The Sacramento Bee: https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/election-endorsements/article315969358.html
