Consent-General Government # 24.
Board of Supervisors
Financial Services
- Meeting Date:
- 08/26/2025
- Brief Title
- 2025-26 Property Tax Rates
From:
Tom Haynes, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services
Staff Contact:
Bowen Au Young, Accounting Manager, Financial Services, x9206
Supervisorial District Impact:
Countywide
Subject
Adopt resolution setting Yolo County property tax rates for 2025-26. (No general fund impact) (Haynes/Au Young)
Recommended Action
Adopt resolution setting Yolo County property tax rates for 2025-26.
Strategic Plan Goal(s)
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Operational Excellence |
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County Mandated Service |
Reason for Recommended Action/Background
California Government Code Section 29100 et. seq. requires the Board of Supervisors to adopt tax rates on the secured property tax roll on or before October 3rd of each year. Article XIIIA of the California Constitution limits the property tax rate for local agencies to 1% of assessed value. However, other tax rates are set for voter-approved indebtedness to generate the amounts necessary to fund the current year's debt service requirements. Tax rates for bonded indebtedness are calculated by dividing the debt service payments by the net assessed value of the property within the applicable tax rate area. The calculated rate may be modified to reflect delinquencies, anticipated changes in the tax roll, anticipated changes in future debt service requirements, cash flow needs or other reserve requirements. These tax rates ensure that there will be sufficient funds to make the annual debt service payments on bonded indebtedness while complying with state laws.
2025-26 Tax Rates
The proposed tax rates for 2025-26, including tax rates for voter-approved bonds, are reflected in Exhibit A to the Resolution included as Attachment A. For comparative purposes, Attachment B shows the tax rates that were levied in 2024-25 and the resulting change from the proposed 2025-26 tax rates.
The most significant change in the tax rates is for the Winters Joint Unified School District (Winters JUSD) 2020 Election Bond and the Woodland Joint Unified School District (Woodland JUSD) 2020 Election Bond. The proposed tax rate to be levied for Winters JUSD 2020 Bond is .041% compared to the prior year of .014% due to a new issuance of the Series B bonds resulting in higher debt services payments in the next couple of years. Similarly, Woodland JUSD 2020 Election Bond newly issued the Series B bonds, resulting in higher debt service payments that will significantly increase by August 2026, necessitating a proposed rate of .025% from .012% from the prior year. It is projected that the tax rate will hold steady over the next few years and even slightly decline as debt service payments level off and assessed values increase over time.
The Department of Financial Services developed these proposed tax rates with the use of a long-term model that forecasts future tax rates based on debt service requirements and projected changes to assessed values. This model helps to identify future cash flow shortfalls or excess fund balances due to changes in debt service requirements year-over-year. Although the long-term model only provides estimates, it is a helpful tool in developing the tax rates for the current fiscal year and in minimizing fluctuations in tax rates over time.
The County Chief Financial Officer will also enroll tax rates calculated by neighboring counties with overlapping jurisdictions as provided by those counties charged with the calculation of the tax rate, custody of funds, and payment of debt service requirements.
Update on Bond Tax Deferral Program
In October 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved two tax assistance programs to assist taxpayers who were adversely impacted by the high tax rate levied in 2023-24 for the Washington Unified School District (WUSD) 2004 bond.
One of those programs, the Tax Deferral Program, allowed taxpayers in the Washington Unified School District to defer payment of the 2023-24 WUSD 2004 Bond tax for up to one year. The due date for participating taxpayers to pay the bond tax was December 10, 2024.
When the 2024-25 tax rates were presented to the Board in August 2024, there was some discussion by the Board of whether to extend the deadline for payment of the 2023-24 WUSD 2004 Bond tax. No action was taken at the time, but the Board did create a Property Tax Ad Hoc Subcommittee to advise staff and the Board on the Tax Deferral Program. The Property Tax Ad Hoc Subcommittee met in December 2024 in advance of the tax deadline, and the Subcommittee members were briefed individually prior to the August 26, 2025, Board meeting.
In total, 498 taxpayers participated in the Tax Deferral Program and 487 or 97.8% paid their taxes by the December 10, 2024, deadline. Of the 11 taxpayers who did not make payment by the deadline, 10 have subsequently paid the bond tax, while just one taxpayer remains delinquent. Staff have been in contact with this delinquent taxpayer, who is also in default of regular property tax payment in 2023 and 2024.
Given the very high rate of compliance with the tax deadline, and the fact that just one taxpayer remains in delinquency, staff do not recommend retroactively extending the payment deadline for the Tax Deferral Program.
2025-26 Tax Rates
The proposed tax rates for 2025-26, including tax rates for voter-approved bonds, are reflected in Exhibit A to the Resolution included as Attachment A. For comparative purposes, Attachment B shows the tax rates that were levied in 2024-25 and the resulting change from the proposed 2025-26 tax rates.
The most significant change in the tax rates is for the Winters Joint Unified School District (Winters JUSD) 2020 Election Bond and the Woodland Joint Unified School District (Woodland JUSD) 2020 Election Bond. The proposed tax rate to be levied for Winters JUSD 2020 Bond is .041% compared to the prior year of .014% due to a new issuance of the Series B bonds resulting in higher debt services payments in the next couple of years. Similarly, Woodland JUSD 2020 Election Bond newly issued the Series B bonds, resulting in higher debt service payments that will significantly increase by August 2026, necessitating a proposed rate of .025% from .012% from the prior year. It is projected that the tax rate will hold steady over the next few years and even slightly decline as debt service payments level off and assessed values increase over time.
The Department of Financial Services developed these proposed tax rates with the use of a long-term model that forecasts future tax rates based on debt service requirements and projected changes to assessed values. This model helps to identify future cash flow shortfalls or excess fund balances due to changes in debt service requirements year-over-year. Although the long-term model only provides estimates, it is a helpful tool in developing the tax rates for the current fiscal year and in minimizing fluctuations in tax rates over time.
The County Chief Financial Officer will also enroll tax rates calculated by neighboring counties with overlapping jurisdictions as provided by those counties charged with the calculation of the tax rate, custody of funds, and payment of debt service requirements.
Update on Bond Tax Deferral Program
In October 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved two tax assistance programs to assist taxpayers who were adversely impacted by the high tax rate levied in 2023-24 for the Washington Unified School District (WUSD) 2004 bond.
One of those programs, the Tax Deferral Program, allowed taxpayers in the Washington Unified School District to defer payment of the 2023-24 WUSD 2004 Bond tax for up to one year. The due date for participating taxpayers to pay the bond tax was December 10, 2024.
When the 2024-25 tax rates were presented to the Board in August 2024, there was some discussion by the Board of whether to extend the deadline for payment of the 2023-24 WUSD 2004 Bond tax. No action was taken at the time, but the Board did create a Property Tax Ad Hoc Subcommittee to advise staff and the Board on the Tax Deferral Program. The Property Tax Ad Hoc Subcommittee met in December 2024 in advance of the tax deadline, and the Subcommittee members were briefed individually prior to the August 26, 2025, Board meeting.
In total, 498 taxpayers participated in the Tax Deferral Program and 487 or 97.8% paid their taxes by the December 10, 2024, deadline. Of the 11 taxpayers who did not make payment by the deadline, 10 have subsequently paid the bond tax, while just one taxpayer remains delinquent. Staff have been in contact with this delinquent taxpayer, who is also in default of regular property tax payment in 2023 and 2024.
Given the very high rate of compliance with the tax deadline, and the fact that just one taxpayer remains in delinquency, staff do not recommend retroactively extending the payment deadline for the Tax Deferral Program.
Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies)
The Department of Financial Services worked closely with the Yolo County Office of Education to ensure all debt service requirements for the current year were captured in the tax rate calculations. The Department also collaborated with individual school districts by providing an opportunity for the districts to review the estimated bond tax rates and any changes in debt obligations. All school districts validated the debt service payments and tax rate calculations for 2025-26. The Department of Financial Services also collaborated with neighboring counties to receive and provide assessed values and tax rates for overlapping areas.
Competitive Bid Process/Vendor Performance
N/A
Fiscal Impact
No Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact (Expenditure)
- Total cost of recommended action:
- $ 0
- Amount budgeted for expenditure:
- $ 0
- Additional expenditure authority needed:
- $ 0
- On-going commitment (annual cost):
- $ 0
Source of Funds for this Expenditure
- General Fund
- $0
Further explanation as needed:
There is no direct fiscal impact to Yolo County as a result of this action. However, this action sets the tax rates necessary to generate revenues sufficient to make annual debt service payments on bonded indebtedness within various jurisdictions throughout Yolo County.
Attachments
Form Review
| Inbox | Reviewed By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Haynes | Tom Haynes | 08/14/2025 10:12 AM |
| Financial Services | KauXue Thao | 08/15/2025 09:21 AM |
| Financial Services | KauXue Thao | 08/15/2025 09:30 AM |
| County Counsel | Phil Pogledich | 08/19/2025 12:14 PM |
| Yen Nguyen | Yen Nguyen | 08/19/2025 02:23 PM |
- Form Started By:
- Bowen Au Young
- Started On:
- 06/30/2025 04:59 PM
- Final Approval Date:
- 08/19/2025