Across the country, questions on the November 2026 ballot to eliminate or sharply restrict property taxes are threatening one of the largest and most stable sources of funding for local communities.
If these measures pass, advocates predict core functions of government like public schools, police, Fire & EMS response, public hospitals and disaster response would see major cuts, while services like parks, libraries, child care subsidies, afterschool programs and more would risk being eliminated altogether. These measures are about more than taxes. They represent a broader, multi-year effort to undermine the promise of democracy by reducing the capacity of government, stripping communities of local decision-making authority, and undermining the public institutions that support opportunity, safety, and economic prosperity.
In this funder briefing, state partners in Florida, Oklahoma, and North Carolina will share more about the threats they face this fall and their strategies for mobilizing a response, including deep partnerships with organizations across their states to engage a broad base of people and demonstrate the wide-ranging and harmful impacts of these measures. Insights will also be shared on the broader national revenue landscape, including recent wins, opportunities, and other threats to pay attention to in the coming months.
Speakers:
- Shana Bartley, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Shiloh Kantz, Oklahoma Policy Institute
- Sadaf Knight, Florida Policy Institute
- Alexandra Sirota, NC Budget and Tax Center
- Meg Wiehe, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Hosted By: Economic Opportunity Funders and Tax Equity Funders Network
Who Should Participate: This program is for funders who work for a qualifying philanthropy.