The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - Significant Changes to Solutions From June 2024 Budget Package Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax Package. Some of the largest budget solutions in the June budget package involved the MCO tax, a tax on health plans that supports the Medi ‑Cal program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2025-26 Budget: Proposition 98 Guarantee and K-12 Spending Plan [Publication Details]

Feb 13, 2025 - This brief examines the estimates of the Proposition 98 guarantee in the Governor’s budget and assesses the overall structure of the Governor’s plan for K-12 funding. It also examines a few of the larger spending proposals and the proposal to delay a $1.6 billion settle-up payment. Update (2/21/25): This brief has been updated to reflect our office’s estimate of the K-12 COLA (2.26 percent).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4963

The 2025-26 Budget: Proposition 98 Guarantee and K-12 Spending Plan

Feb 13, 2025 - This brief examines the estimates of the Proposition 98 guarantee in the Governor’s budget and assesses the overall structure of the Governor’s plan for K-12 funding. It also examines a few of the larger spending proposals and the proposal to delay a $1.6 billion settle-up payment. Update (2/21/25): This brief has been updated to reflect our office’s estimate of the K-12 COLA (2.26 percent).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4963

The 2025‑26 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

Nov 20, 2024 - Regarding local property tax revenue, our estimates are up $789   million relative to the June 2024 estimates. This increase reflects recent data showing an uptick in home sales, which generate additional property tax revenue as properties are reassessed at market value.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4940

CalFacts 2024 [Publication Details]

Dec 2, 2024 - CalFacts presents a wide range of facts and trends about the state's economy, finances, and programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4942

The 2024-25 Budget: The Governor’s Proposition 98 Funding Maneuver

Feb 15, 2024 - This is because prior ‑year taxes usually have been filed and associated revenues collected by April of any given year. Due to the state conforming to federal tax filing extensions, however, the Legislature only gained a complete picture of 2022 ‑23 tax collections late in 2023 —after the fiscal year already ended.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4840

Excess ERAF: A Review of the Calculations Affecting School Funding [Publication Details]

Mar 6, 2020 - We recently found that some counties are calculating excess ERAF in ways that seem contrary to state law and shift too much property tax revenue from schools to other agencies. We have three specific concerns related to the calculation of excess ERAF that together affect about $350 million in annual property tax revenue.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4193

Excess ERAF: A Review of the Calculations Affecting School Funding

Mar 6, 2020 - Property Tax Basics Many Local Agencies Receive Property Tax Revenue. Property owners in California pay a tax of at least 1  p ercent on the assessed value of their properties. The State Constitution requires the proceeds of the property tax to be allocated for local agencies in the county where the revenue is collected.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4193

The Local Control Funding Formula for School Districts and Charter Schools

Jan 9, 2023 - The property tax revenue in excess of their LCFF allotments is known as excess property tax revenue. Basic aid school districts can use their excess property tax revenue on their local education priorities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4661

The 2022-23 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 16, 2022 - Specifically, SAL requirements can only be met with: Tax Reductions or Tax Refunds. The first way the Legislature can allocate revenues in order to comply with the SAL is to reduce proceeds of taxes, for example, by reducing tax rates, increasing tax credits, or returning funds to taxpayers through tax refunds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4598