Summary
Facing a structural deficit, the council is weighing new taxes for the November ballot. It unanimously directed staff to draft a fire-focused parcel tax covering station rebuilds, a new station, headquarters and a training center, and will revisit a parking tax next week. Housing advocates pushed a real property transfer tax for affordable housing instead.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 3
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 6, 2026.
Impact analysis
A parcel tax could raise roughly $30 million a year; a parking tax about $5 million; a transfer tax up to $26 million.
Fire services, street repair and, under some proposals, affordable housing programs.
Property owners, particularly seniors on fixed incomes, and realtors warn of cumulative tax burden; renters could face pass-through costs.
Mentions & discussions (5)
Guest Opinion | Assemblymember John Harabedian: Prop 39 is an Expensive Answer to a Problem California Doesn’t Have – Pasadena Now
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City Council Meeting: (Audio Description) - Oct 6, 2026
The council endorsed a parcel tax for 911 and wildfire preparedness (Measure PFD), PCC bonds (Measure UP), and state Proposition 1, while opposing voter-ID Proposition 39 and the two-thirds tax threshold Proposition 43.
City Council Meeting: - Oct 6, 2026
The council endorsed the PFD fire parcel tax, PCC bonds, and state Prop 1 housing bonds, and opposed voter ID (Prop 39) and the two-thirds tax threshold (Prop 43). One commenter questioned the parcel tax's burden on newer homeowners.
City Council Meeting: - Jul 13, 2026
Facing a structural deficit, the council is weighing new taxes for the November ballot. It unanimously directed staff to draft a fire-focused parcel tax covering station rebuilds, a new station, headquarters and a training center, and will revisit a parking tax next week. Housing advocates pushed a real property transfer tax for affordable housing instead.
Measure SP: South Pasadena is at a Crossroads – Residents, City Council, & Way of Life is Being Tested
Measure SP: South Pasadena is at a Crossroads – Residents, City Council, & Way of Life is Being Tested South Pasadena News
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