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 Auditor-Controller’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.