Windsor's 2026 Property Tax Bond: What It Could Cost You

A report by The Press Democrat on Windsor’s proposed school bond quoted Windsor Unified School District Superintendent Jeremy Decker: "We're not asking for more money necessarily, but instead asking for that amount of dollars already on the tax bill to stay on the tax bill."

He was describing a $96 million facilities bond that Windsor voters will decide on November 3, 2026. If you're currently under contract on a Windsor home, or thinking about writing an offer this fall, that sentence is worth sitting with. It tells you something the sticker price doesn't: this bond is framed as a continuation, not a new charge, and understanding why matters more than the headline number.

Windsor voters will actually see two separate measures this November, and they come from two different agencies with two different funding mechanisms. Confusing them, or assuming one affects the other, is the easiest mistake a buyer or seller can make right now.

Two Measures, Two Different Wallets

The Town of Windsor is asking voters to approve Measure I, a 1% local sales tax that would raise an estimated $5.7 million a year for the general fund. This is a sales tax. It shows up when you buy something at a Windsor register, not on your property tax bill. Windsor is currently the only city in Sonoma County without a local sales tax of its own, which is part of why this measure exists at all.

The Windsor Unified School District, a separate and independent agency, is asking voters to approve a $96 million bond to repair and upgrade facilities across its six campuses. This one is repaid through property taxes, and it's the one that matters if you're closing on a house.

According to the Town's own public information, passing or failing one measure has no effect on the other. They don't share revenue, and they don't share a fate. If you hear someone describe this as "Windsor's tax increase" in the singular, they're collapsing two unrelated stories into one.

Why the Town Only Sees 13 Cents on the Dollar

The sales tax measure exists because of a mechanism that predates almost every current Windsor homeowner: Proposition 13. When it passed in 1978, it capped property tax at 1% of assessed value and locked in how that 1% gets divided among local agencies, based on what each agency was already receiving at the time.

Windsor didn't incorporate until 1992. It missed the moment when those shares were set, so the Town never had a historic slice to claim. The result, according to the Town's own figures, is that of every property tax dollar paid within Windsor town limits, the Town keeps roughly 13 cents. Schools receive more than 60 cents of every dollar. The rest goes to the county, fire protection, and other agencies under formulas the Town can't change locally.

Play that forward on a new home. A property assessed at $500,000 generates $5,000 a year in base property tax. Of that, the Town collects about $660 to cover police protection, street maintenance, and parks for that household, from day one. New development doesn't close the gap either. A meaningful share of the housing currently being built in Windsor is dedicated affordable housing, which is typically exempt from property tax altogether under state welfare exemptions.

That structural shortfall is why the Town's general fund brings in about $915 per resident in the current budget year, against a median of roughly $1,463 among the county's other eight cities, according to figures the Town has published as part of its Measure I materials. Measure I, if it passes, would close part of that gap. It would not touch what you pay in property tax.

What the School Bond Would Actually Cost You

The bond is a different animal, and it's the one that lands on a tax bill.

If approved, it would be repaid through property taxes at an average rate of $46 per $100,000 of assessed value over the life of the bond, which runs through 2060. The rate isn't flat the whole way. It starts lower and rises in steps:

On a home near Windsor's median sale price of about $800,000 as of this summer, the average rate works out to more than $360 a year. In the earlier years, before the step-up, it would run closer to $200 a year on that same home.

That number is real, and any buyer budgeting carrying costs on a Windsor purchase should know it's a possibility. But it's only half the story.

A Bond That's Mostly Replacing Itself

Windsor Unified's current facilities bond, a $62 million measure voters approved in 2016, is set to expire this year. District leaders describe the new $96 million ask less as new spending and more as keeping an existing charge on the books rather than letting it roll off, which is the point behind Decker's comment about not asking for more money.

There's also a useful comparison sitting in the district's own recent history. In 2024, the district asked voters for $122.5 million, at an average rate of about $57 per $100,000 of assessed value. That measure fell short, earning 49% support. The bond on this November's ballot needs 55% to pass, and its average rate of $46 per $100,000 is about 19% lower than what voters rejected two years ago.

District trustees point to the condition of the buildings as the reason the ask hasn't gone away. Last year alone, the district reported more than 70 roof leaks across its campuses. At Brooks Elementary School specifically, documented issues include a gymnasium HVAC unit and roof both needing replacement, dry rot along a portable building, and water damage in a bathroom. Some Windsor residents have voiced frustration about continuing to pay down the 2016 bond while being asked to consider a new one, which is a fair question to ask at a school board meeting and a separate question from whether the new rate itself is higher or lower than what's already on the bill.

What This Means If You're Under Contract Right Now

If you're under contract on a Windsor home, the ballot outcome is worth considering when budgeting for property taxes.

If you're buying with an eye toward next year and beyond, a few concrete steps are worth taking before you write an offer:

Pull the seller's most recent property tax bill and look for the existing 2016 bond line item. It's already there, and seeing it gives you a real baseline for what a continued or adjusted rate would look like if November's measure passes.

Check the preliminary title report during escrow for any Community Facilities District or Mello-Roos line specific to that property's subdivision. Some newer developments in Sonoma County carry those in addition to district-wide school bonds, and they're a separate charge with their own schedule.

Ask directly whether the property sits within Windsor Unified's boundaries, since not every Windsor-adjacent address does, and the bond only applies within the district.

None of this changes whether a given house is the right one. It just means the monthly number you're budgeting for taxes should account for a possible future line item, not just today's bill.

Does this affect a home already in escrow? The ballot outcome will determine whether future tax bills include the new rate.

Is Measure I connected to the school bond? No. They come from separate agencies, the Town and the school district, and California law prohibits either agency's revenue from flowing to the other.

What if the property already has a Mello-Roos CFD? The school bond would be a separate line from any existing CFD tied to a specific subdivision. Both can appear on the same tax bill without being related to each other.

If you're weighing a Windsor purchase this fall and want a second set of eyes on what's actually sitting on a property's tax bill before you write an offer, Brianna Benz can walk through it with you line by line. Schedule a free consultation before your next Windsor showing.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.