Malibu Stands to Collect Less Property Taxes Than it Planned For

The city’s tax roll grew 3.5% this year, below the county rate and well under the 6–8% Malibu typically banks on.

August 17, 2026 · Malibu

Malibu’s property tax base [grew just 3.5% this year](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baetGrRnfzk&t=4210s) — about half the city’s historic pace — City Manager Joe Irvin told the city council at a meeting on Monday, relaying final figures from the county assessor.

The 2026 assessment roll puts Malibu’s net taxable value at $25.63 billion, up $871 million from last year. The city has historically forecast, and hit, 6 to 8% annual growth; this year Malibu also trailed the [countywide growth rate of 4.42%](https://www.smdp.com/2026-assessment-roll/).

Irvin called the numbers a cautionary tale and said he’s watching expenditures closely, while noting the city remains “a little bit of an anomaly” — a tax base still growing at all, 18 months after a disaster. One bright spot: the $7 million Malibu received under AB 100 is parked in an interest-earning account expected to generate a couple hundred thousand dollars.

One Malibu resident told the council the local slowdown was no mystery — post-fire, sales stalled and burned properties were automatically reassessed downward.

The city’s reserves stood at $82.8 million as of June 30, with $10.6 million in checks outstanding. “We’ve got reserves for one more disaster,” council member Doug Stewart said. A fuller budget picture arrives with the midyear update in January or February.