Official Newsletter of the Alameda County Assessor's Office | January 2025

Message from Assessor Phong La Dear Alameda County Residents, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and an excellent start to the new year. This month we celebrate the start of 2025, the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the start of the Lunar New Year. January 29th marks the start of the Year of the Snake which is associated with wisdom, transformation, and resourcefulness. On the weekend of January 18th, my office participated in the 33rd Annual Oakland Chinatown Lunar New Year Bazaar and the Oakland Little Saigon Tết Festival at Clinton Park in Oakland. Thank you to all the organizers! I want to congratulate all of our local elected officials who were sworn into office this month. Public service is a vital role in government, and I appreciate those who run for office.  Additionally, I want to congratulate Hayward's new City Manager Dr. Ana Alvarez on her new appointment. I wish all of these skilled leaders nothing but success in our collective journey to represent and serve our constituents.  I am excited to continue to meet and share information with realtor groups, rotary clubs, and other organizations in 2025! If you're interested in having me speak to your organization, please reach out to my staff at AllAssessorPRU@acgov.org. Please remember that Monday, February 17th is the legal deadline to file an exemptions claim for: Owner-occupied Homes (Form BOE-266) Veterans and Disabled Veterans (Form BOE-261 & BOE-261-G) Churches (BOE-262-AH) Nonprofit and Religious Organization Public Schools and Colleges Cemetery You can find the forms here! All forms must be mailed. For any questions, please reach out to my office. As always, we remain committed to serving the residents of Alameda County.   Sincerely, Phong La Alameda County Assessor Assessor in the Community Assessor Phong La (right) at the "Susan S. Muranishi County of Alameda Administration Building" renaming ceremony in Oakland Assessor's staff Emilia Ordaz-Salto with Luis Ortega (left) and Councilmember Noel Gallo (right) at the Three Wisemen Toy Giveaway in Oakland Assessor Phong La (center) with BRIDGE Realtors in Berkeley Assessor Phong La with Toni Alexander and Supervisor Nate Miley at his inauguration ceremony in Pleasanton Assessor Resources Value Change Due to New Construction     Under California state law, your property tax may increase due to "New Construction" activity. "New Construction" refers to any improvements to your home other than normal maintenance or repair. When construction is performed, the changed or new portion of your home may be reassessed at market value, thus increasing your property's assessment value.    How does our office determine market value of your new construction?  If the new construction project is only partially completed on the January 1st lien date, the law requires the Assessor to estimate the fair market value in its current state of completion, until the project is 100% complete and the final assessment is determined. If, for example, a building permit is issued on August 15th and on the subsequent January 1st construction is only 30% completed, the Assessor will estimate the value of the "30% portion" and add that value to the next assessment roll. After construction is complete, the Assessor's Office will assess the improvement at market value and add this value to your existing value. (Note: market value may differ from the cost of construction)    How will I know what the updated assessment value is once construction is complete?    A Notice of Supplemental Assessment is mailed to you to notify you of the updated assessed value. The new assessed value is then submitted to the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector. Those offices are responsible for mailing and collecting your tax bill.    New Construction Exclusions from Reassessment    Not all construction activities lead to reassessment. If the projects are part of normal maintenance such as replacing a leaky window, they are likely not considered reassessable. Additionally, there are exemptions from reassessment for certain kinds of construction. For example, solar energy installations, seismic retrofitting improvements, disabled access modifications, and fire sprinkler and detection system improvements will not trigger reassessment. For more information regarding new construction exclusions, check HERE.     To receive the exclusion, a claim form must be filed prior to, or within thirty (30) days of, the commencement of construction activity. To download the Builder's Claim for New Construction Exclusion from Supplemental Assessment, click here, or go to the Assessor's forms page. If you have questions or require more information, please call (510) 272-3787.  Support Resources The next Property Transfer Legal Clinic will take place on Friday, February 21st. Please click below to make an appointment with a volunteer attorney for a free 30-minute consultation. Property Legal Clinic Appointment Alameda County WHOF East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) is proud to launch the Oakland Small Business Resiliency Fund, a grant fund supporting diverse small businesses with a physical presence in Oakland. The Fund will provide a one-time infusion of grant capital to Oakland small businesses to boost their resiliency and ability to withstand and recover from the economic and community safety challenges they face or to build their capacity and readiness to take on other forms of capital and investments.  Eligibility criteria: Small businesses with at least $50,000 in gross annual revenue. Provide goods and/or services at a storefront, pop-up, or other physical location in a priority neighborhood in Oakland for 2 years or more. Priority neighborhoods include commercial districts in East Oakland, Eastlake, Fruitvale, West Oakland, and parts of Downtown. These areas were selected based on OaklandDOT's Geographic Equity Toolbox. Ownership represents the diversity of Oakland, including Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian & Pacific Islander, South Asian, Southwest Asian, and North African (SSWANA), women, transgender, and non-binary Experiencing financial hardship due to community violence, such as vandalism, difficulty accessing financing or repaying debt, increased costs of doing business, or other economic challenges Must not have previously received funding from the Oakland Small Business Resiliency Fund Ineligible businesses: Businesses whose primary purpose is to sell alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceutical products, cannabis, or firearms. Real estate and rideshare and transportation businesses. Grant size: During the first round of funding, administered from November 2024-April 2025, businesses may apply for grants ranging from $5,000-$25,000. We will update this page with information about subsequent funding rounds in Spring 2025. Application and review process Please review the eligibility requirements.  If eligible, please complete the online application form. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis during Phase 1 of funding (November 2024-April 2025). All applications received by the 1st of each month will be reviewed by a Community Advisory Committee within one week of the deadline. Applications will be assessed based on eligibility (see above), funding available, and equity considerations.  If approved, the grantee will be sent and required to return a signed Grant Agreement Form. Upon receipt of the form, we will verify banking information, and payment will be issued via ACH, wire, or check, typically within 10-15 business days.  The total process from submission of application to receipt of funds takes approximately 6-8 weeks if documents are signed and information is verified in a timely manner. Apply Here! Website APPLY FOR A MICROENTERPRISE KITCHEN OPERATION PERMIT  The Alameda County Environmental Health Department received a grant from the California Department of Public Health to assist prospective MEHKO operators to acquire MEHKO permits to operate. The grant funds are approved (until November 30, 2025, or fund depletion ) for assisting new operators with the payment of the MEHKO application fee and the permit fee. The "Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation(MEHKO) – Application / Standard Operating Procedures" can be downloaded or are available at the Environmental Health Department, located at:  Alameda County Environmental Health Department (ACEHD) 1131 Harbor Bay Parkway Alameda, CA 94502 Submit your completed MEHKO Application/SOP and the Request for MEHKO Assistance documents ASAP Website Stay in touch!

Alameda County Assessor's Office | 1221 Oak Street, Room 145 | Oakland, CA 94612 US