San Diego County wanted new powers over real estate taxes. Now it’s pulled the plug on that effort.

A quest by San Diego County to push for a steep increase in real estate taxes has ended before it really started.

The county has bailed on plans to hire a lobbyist in Sacramento to push for a menu of potential tax hikes identified by a subcommittee overseen by Democratic supervisors.

Voice of San Diego first reported the development Thursday.

According to a draft contract, supervisors wanted state lawmakers to allow counties to raise taxes on real estate sales from 55 cents for every $500 in value to $30.55 for every $500 — more than 55 times the old rate.

If imposed on the sale of the average San Diego County home worth $985,000, such a rate would add $60,200 in new taxes.

The draft contract also called for the lobbyist to push lawmakers to let counties start levying payroll taxes, a power they don’t currently have.

For the real estate transfer tax, the county wanted a proposed tax rate that could be adjusted for inflation and altered for different kinds of properties, including second homes, according to the draft contract.

If given the ability by state law, the county would still have had to put such a tax to voters in a ballot measure.

The wish-list of new...