Betty's Successes
Since serving on the Board, Betty's major accomplishments include:
Serving Taxpayers and the Public
- Increasing the transparency and accountability of the Board by implementing audio- and video-streaming of the Board meetings.
- Implementing an extensive taxpayer outreach and education program throughout the First Equalization District that has served thousands of new and existing business owners, businesses in our diverse ethnic communities, women entrepreneurs, construction contractors, senior citizens, and nonprofit organizations.
- Launching a financial skills development program for women and youth.
- Improving services to taxpayers by fighting to keep state funding for BOE field offices, expanding electronic services to facilitate filings and payments, and introducing web-based resources to help California businesses.
- Assisting taxpayers who have been affected by natural disasters such as wildfires and storms with their tax filing and payment obligations.
Protecting the State's Revenues
- Applying California's tax laws fairly, correctly, and consistently when hearing and deciding tax appeals matters.
- Developing a comprehensive program to address the tax gap – the difference between taxes owed and taxes paid.
- Supporting training and innovative strategies for tax collection.
Establishing Fair and Sound Tax Policies
- Leveling the playing field between brick-and-mortar and online retailers.
- Enacting property tax equity for registered domestic partners.
- Ensuring oil refineries pay their fair share of taxes.
- Clarifying the application of tax on the installation of solar energy technology.
- Preserving open space with tax relief for conservation easement grants.
- Easing the tax burden for persons who are dependent on tissue expanders and implant devices such as breast cancer survivors and the hearing impaired, respectively.
- Curbing under-age drinking by applying the distilled spirits tax rate to flavored malt beverages.
- Enforcing the state's tax laws on medical marijuana dispensaries.
- Recognizing the wide acceptance of Chinese herbal products as food that is not subject to tax.
