Mahan aims to raise taxes--yet again
Extending his ongoing efforts to jack SJ residents' tax burden even higher, SJ Mayor Mahan on Jan. 13 voted to oppose the "Save Prop 13" ballot initiative. And, yes, he was joined by his cadre of faux fiscal conservatives, CMs Casey, Doan and Mulcahy. They also voted to support the upcoming tax bailouts of the region's flailing, nearly bankrupt transit agencies. Opp Now roving contributor Tobin Gilman reports on Nextdoor.
Update: Yesterday Mayor Mahan and the City Council reaffirmed their opposition to the “Save Proposition 13” proposed ballot initiative. The action was codified in the council’s approval of the latest city Intergovernmental Relations team report and recommendations presented at the 1/13/2026 meeting.
As many of you know, the mayor and council have worked diligently over the past few years to weaken Prop 13 protections. Most notably:
In 2024, Mayor Mahan and the council passed a resolution formally putting the City of San Jose on record in opposition to the Taxpayer Protection Act. Signatures of more than a million registered voters had qualified the measure for the November 2024 statewide ballot.
That same year, Mayor Mahan also signed an amicus brief in support of Governor Newsom’s lawsuit to have the Taxpayer Protection Act removed from the ballot. The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of Governor Newsom and his allies. The TPA was pulled from the ballot.
Mayor Mahan and the city council passed a resolution formally putting the City of San Jose on record in support of Prop 5, a 2024 ballot measure that would have weakened Prop 13 protections by reducing the voter approval threshold for passing new local taxes.
A solid majority of California voters, including those in Santa Clara County, rejected Prop 5.
If you’re a registered voter in California interested in saving Prop 13 protections from further attacks, please be sure to sign the petition to ensure the Save Prop 13 Act qualifies for the statewide ballot this year. Also, be sure to ask your mayor and council representatives to discontinue their assault on Prop 13.--Tobin Gilman
Read more here.
Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity
We prize letters from our thoughtful readers. Typed on a Smith Corona. Written in longhand on fine stationery. Scribbled on a napkin. Hey, even composed on email. Feel free to send your comments to us at opportunitynowsv@gmail.com or (snail mail) 1590 Calaveras Ave., SJ, CA 95126. Remember to be thoughtful and polite. We will post letters on an irregular basis on the main Opp Now site.