SACRAMENTO, CA — Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) has amended Assembly Bill 404 to require those who lobby County Assessors to adhere to the same lobbying rules as those who lobby County Boards of Supervisors. This simple requirement would result in disclosure, to the media and public, of who is paying so-called “tax agents” to obtain what are, in some cases, multi-million-dollar windfalls for their clients through favorable treatment by Assessors. It would also, in many cases, prevent tax agents from making campaign contributions to Assessors, who then hear the tax agents’ clients’ cases.
“It is unwise policy to allow these so-called ‘tax-agents’ to lobby assessors in the backrooms of government with no disclosure,” said Gatto. “We should treat those who lobby County Assessors the same as those who lobby County Supervisors, requiring a modicum of disclosure and setting certain ground rules on what is and is not acceptable conduct.”
AB 404 would not affect property owners who advocate on their own behalf, nor would it take away local control for counties to amend the fine points of their lobbying ordinances.
Gatto has been working with the California Association of Professional Employees, which represents more than 3000 of Los Angeles County’s professional employees (including those who work hard to assess properties, only to see their work undone at times by the well-connected) to provide increased transparency in the process.
“This common-sense solution will allow the public to know who is paying whom to lobby their elected Assessors. It makes sense that these individuals, who often obtain multi-million-dollar benefits for their clients, have to live by the same rules as other lobbyists.”
Mike Gatto is the Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly. He represents the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and parts of Los Angeles, including Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, and Van Nuys.
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