12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 10-16, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com When Gonzales voters passed Measure K in 2020, a $37 million bond to fund school facilities upgrades at Gonzales Unified School District, it added an extra line on property tax bills. Property owners were set to pay $60 per every $100,000 in assessed value. Four years passed. Then in January 2025, the Monterey County AuditorController’s Office found a tax collection error, with hundreds of properties across the school district either being overcharged or undercharged. “I am perplexed that this was not brought to light earlier,” County Supervisor Chris Lopez said in a statement. “We will work with those that need assistance to understand the changes to their property tax bills.” That work began at a town hall meeting on Tuesday night, July 8 at Fairview Middle School’s gym in Gonzales. County staff reached out to the property owners in English and Spanish and held a talk followed by a Q&A. About two dozen people showed up, including City Manager Carmen Gil, City Councilmember Maria Orozco and GUSD Superintendent Joey Adame. Attendees shared their frustration and concerns during the meeting. They also asked about payment plans, refunds and impacts to rent on properties on the outskirts of Gonzales, including Chualar. “We are taking all the necessary steps to establish procedures and accountability,” said County Auditor-Controller Rupa Shah. She noted future rates were adjusted and they have established measures to prevent future errors, including retraining staff and reviewing the bond tax calculation process. According to a report prepared by the Auditor-Controller’s Office, the error impacted nearly 3,000 properties. Of those, Shah says that about 850 parcels were undercharged while nearly 2,100 were overcharged for the past four fiscal years between 2021-2025. The County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office expects to recoup $1.8 million in underpayments and return $485,000 to property owners. Property owners who overpaid will receive automatic refunds by August; those with underpayments have been receiving bills since June to pay the difference. Estimated amounts annually range from $150 to $1,000 per parcel. Taxpayers with a debt of $500 or more per fiscal year may qualify for a repayment plan starting in April 2026 and ending in 2030. If properties changed ownership during 2021-2025, the current and previous owners will get a prorated amount. On June 3, the Salinas City Council voted 5-2 to rescind four housing-related ordinances approved by their predecessors, including a 2.75-percent cap on annual rent increases. The vote was met with cheers by property owners, and dissatisfaction by renters. The latter fueled a referendum effort seeking to overturn the decision. Two days after the vote, Mayor Dennis Donohue announced a four-step plan to address the housing crisis: creating a multi-year rental assistance program for renters in need, hosting a housing summit in the fall, expanding tenant-mediation services and a tenant rights and resources communication campaign. Meanwhile, Protect Salinas Renters, a coalition of doctors, teachers, students and others, had already started gathering signatures for a referendum. In 30 days, they say they obtained more than 10,000 signatures, exceeding the 6,998 needed. More than 200 volunteers worked against the clock to gather signatures. They knocked on doors and tabled outside of businesses like the Cherry Bean Coffee Roasting Co. and Las Palmas Furniture and at farmers markets. Among the volunteers were councilmembers Tony Barrera and Andrew Sandoval, the two opposing votes, as well as former councilmember Orlando Osornio, who voted in favor of the prior ordinances. On July 3, the group submitted the signatures to the City Clerk, which referred them to the Monterey County Elections Department. Elections officials have 30 business days (until Aug. 15) to verify the signatures are from nonduplicative registered voters in the city. If the signatures are verified, the council would have three options: revoke their previous decision, call for a special election or include a referendum on the 2026 ballot. According to County Elections, a standalone election would cost the city between $16-$24 per registered voter, about $1.1 to $1.7 million; adding the referendum to the 2026 ballot would cost between $489,895 to $699,850. Wrong Bill Four years into a Gonzales school bond, county auditor discovers hundreds of under- and overpayments. By Celia Jiménez NEWS MEET THE TEAM Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute hosts an open house, welcoming the public inside to meet the scientists who work there. The event includes exhibits, demonstrations, presentations and more. Noon-5pm Saturday, July 12. MBARI, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing. Free. mbari.org/OpenHouse. ON THE DAIS Monterey City Council meets and accepts public comment. Tell your elected officials what they are doing well and what you think they can do better. 4pm Tuesday, July 15. Colton Hall, 580 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 646-3799, monterey.gov. SIGN UP The Castroville Community Services District Board of Directors meets to consider the future use of the historic “Artichoke Center of the World” Merritt Street sign that was replaced recently. Other district business will also be discussed. 4:30pm Tuesday, July 15. District Board Room, 11499 Geil St., Castroville. Free. 633-2560, castrovillecsd.org. CODE CONVERSATION Sand City Council meets to consider amending the city’s municipal code to implement policies from its housing element. Public comment is accepted. 5:30pm Tuesday, July 15. City Hall, 1 Pendergrass Way, Sand City. Free. 3946700, sandcity.org. PUBLIC FACING Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church hosts a town hall meeting for Pajaro and Las Lomas residents. Church, along with guests from the County of Monterey and local agencies, will be on hand to hear questions and concerns. 5:30-7pm Wednesday, July 16. Pajaro Middle School cafeteria, 250 Salinas Road, Pajaro. Free. 755-5022, glennchurch.com. ON STAFF Pacific Grove City Council meets to discuss staffing vacancies and retention efforts. Public comment is accepted. 6pm Wednesday, July 16. City Hall, 300 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 6483100, cityofpacificgrove.gov. IN FOCUS Seaside City Council meets to consider standards for firearm sales and storage. Public feedback is welcomed. 5pm Thursday, July 17. City Council Chambers, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6700, ci.seaside.ca.us. Swing Back A referendum effort means Salinas residents could vote on rent stabilization. By Celia Jiménez Gonzales resident Roman Barba (center) attended a town hall meeting at Fairview Middle School on July 8 to share concerns about tax payments on a property he sold. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “I am perplexed that this was not brought to light earlier.” CELIA JIMÉNEZ
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