Santa Clara Co. property owners to get tax break

The upside to declining property values is that people are likely to get a tax break.

Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone said Monday that the tax bills of 350,000 property owners will be about a quarter of one percent smaller this Fall. So, if your property taxes were $5,000 last year, they will be about $12 less this year.

Stone encourages residents to donate their tax break to local school districts or county hospitals.