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Realtors, apartment and business groups tell Pasadena council parcel tax is unfair or needs rework
Summary
Several business and housing stakeholders urged the council to reject or rework the parcel tax, saying it disproportionately burdens homeowners and commercial property and lacks a sunset, a clear spending requirement and a fair mechanism for pass‑through to tenants.
Business and housing stakeholders raised equity and design concerns about the proposal, asking the council to send the measure back for revision or to consider alternative revenue sources such as a sales tax.
David Kissinger of the Pasadena Foothills Association of Realtors said their calculations show the cumulative tax burden from recent local measures could approach $1,700 for some households and called the current parcel tax formulation “unbalanced” and unfair to property owners. Pete Kutzer, an investor and developer, told council the proposed tax is not a traditional flat per‑parcel levy but is assessed at 19¢ per buildable square foot, which he said disproportionately hits commercial and multifamily properties and provides no explicit requirement that the money be spent on the capital projects that prompted the measure.
An Apartment Association representative urged the council to use a sales tax if the goal is broad fairness, and asked that multifamily properties be excluded if council proceeds. Several speakers and council members asked staff to strengthen guardrails, add clear prioritization for station retrofits, and consider a sunset to improve voter acceptability.
