Mike Schaefer

1What can this job do?

The State Board of Equalization is a tax body, and your district elects one of its four members. Since a 2017 reform stripped most of its duties, the Board's job is narrow: it oversees the fairness and uniformity of how property is taxed across counties and administers a few specific taxes (like those on insurers and railroads).

✗It no longer handles sales and income tax — those moved to other state departments — and it does NOT set tax rates or write tax law. Its remaining role is mostly oversight, not the broad tax power the office once had.

2What has this person done with it?

We don't yet track a record of this official's actions here. For state offices, the public record is unusually good: recorded votes and bill histories are at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, and campaign finance is at the Secretary of State's Cal-Access. Those primary sources are the place to look — we'd rather send you there than summarize selectively.

We only log matters of public record, in the same format for every official — never opinion or news coverage.

3How does this affect you?

This is YOUR one Board of Equalization member — the person your part of the state elects to California's tax board. The Board of Equalization oversees the administration of certain state taxes, mainly property tax matters. Because you live in the 4th Equalization District, this is your specific seat on the board.

4How do you change it?

This is an elected seat with a four-year term. The state is divided into four Board of Equalization districts — among the largest districts any Californian votes in — and you vote for the one member from your district. These races are near the bottom of the statewide ballot. Registration, polling place, and ballots: Orange County Registrar of Voters (ocvote.gov).

☑This seat is expected on the ballot November 3, 2026 — that's the county's forecast, not yet the official notice of election.