Annual Report 2020 -2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message from Lawrence E. Stone
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How Tax Bills are Calculated
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The Assessment Roll
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Supplemental Assessments
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Roll Comparison of Counties
9
Assessment Information by City
10
Proposition 13
12
Exemptions
15
New Construction
16
Changes in Ownership & Transfers
18
Organizational Overview of the Assessor’s Office
Prop 8: Temporary Declines in Assessed Value
Business Personal Property
Top 25 Companies
Assessment Appeals
Customer Service/Performance Counts
Explanation of Terms
Assessed Value by City and Property Type
Assessed Value by School District and Property Type
Property Assessment Calendar
The Assessor’s Team
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Santa Clara County Assessor’s Mission Statement
The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office’s Mission is to produce an annual assessment roll, including all assessable
property in accordance with legal mandates in a timely, accurate, and efficient manner; and provide current
assessment related information to the public, and to governmental agencies, in a timely and responsive way.
Responsibility of the Assessor’s Office
The Assessor has the responsibility to locate all taxable property in the County, identify ownership, establish a
value for all property subject to local property taxation, list the value of all property on the assessment roll, and
apply all legal exemptions. The Santa Clara County Assessor does not compute property tax bills, collect property
taxes, establish property tax laws, establish rules by which property is assessed, or set property tax rates. The
assessments allow the County of Santa Clara to collect and allocate property tax revenue, which supports essential
public services provided by the County, local schools, cities, and special districts.
Artwork by Lila Gemellos
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Santa Clara County Annual Report 2020