Board of Equalization introduces new chief communications officer

The Board of Equalization on Wednesday introduced John Taylor as the agency’s new chief communications officer after Chief Deputy Director Lisa Renati announced his hiring.

Taylor said he comes from the Employment Development Department, where he led strategic communications and the rollout of pandemic unemployment assistance programs, and described himself as a "plain language enthusiast" committed to making agency materials easier to use.

"There's a public appetite for that and it's serving well," Taylor told the board, citing the BOE’s Proposition 19 webpage, which he said has drawn nearly 1 million page views since it launched.

Board members welcomed Taylor and asked him to review BOE publications and recommend ways to raise public awareness about what the agency does and how Prop 19 affects homeowners. Member Gaines suggested regular messaging to the legislature when the board formally supports bills; Member Schaefer proposed wider circulation of the agency's annual publication and shorter, more concise formats for public distribution.

Why it matters: clearer public communications and targeted outreach could help taxpayers better understand complex changes under Prop 19 and other property‑tax rules, reducing confusion and workload for both county offices and the BOE.