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City of Foster City Business License Tax, Measure U (November 2013)
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A City of Foster City Business License Tax, Measure U ballot question was on the November 5, 2013, election ballot for voters in the city of Foster in San Mateo County, which is in California. It was approved.
Measure U increased the minimum costs for business licenses according to the following table:
| Business license minimum cost | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective date | General contractor | Specialty contractor | Solicitor | Other businesses |
| Current rate | $50 | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| January 1, 2014 | $100 | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| January 1, 2015 | $150 | $75 | $75 | $75 |
| January 1, 2016 | $200 | $100 | $100 | $100 |
Measure U also increased the gross receipts limit on which business licenses are computed according to the following table, allowing for higher maximum business licence costs.
| Gross receipts limits | ||
|---|---|---|
| Effective date | Gross Receipts Limit | Maximum Tax Amount |
| Current rate | $5,000,000 | $3,750 |
| January 1, 2014 | $10,000,000 | $7,500 |
| January 1, 2015 | $20,000,000 | $15,000 |
| January 1, 2016 | $30,000,000 | $22,500 |
Election results
| Measure U | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 3,077 | 73.2% | ||
| No | 1,126 | 26.8% | ||
- These final, certified results are from the San Mateo County elections office.
Text of measure
The question on the ballot:
| Measure U:
To pay for general city services enjoyed by all residents and businesses in Foster City, including services such as police, fire, parks, recreation, and repairing and maintaining the levee, lagoon, streets and other infrastructure, shall an ordinance be adopted to increase the City’s business license tax effective January 1, 2014?[1][2] |
Support
Supporters
Officials
- Pam Frisella, Mayor of Foster City
- Charlie Bronitsky, Vice Mayor of Foster City
- Art Kiesel, Councilmember of Foster City
- Steve Okamoto, Councilmember of Foster City
- Herb Perez, Councilmember of Foster City
Organizations
Arguments
Proponents of Measure U had outlined their arguments in the League of Women Voters’ Voter Guide. The arguments included the following:[5]
- Foster City's business license tax has not changed since 1972, even while the cost of providing business services has increased.
- The city has already cut employee salaries, reduced pension benefits and cut non-essential services, but a budget deficit still looms. Foster City needs a new license tax to help preserve the current quality of life.
Opposition
The League of Women Voters of California could not identify any opponents or opposing arguments in their voter guide.[5]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 San Mateo County voter guide for Measure U
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ San Mateo County Democratic Party, "Endorsement Information for Candidates and Campaigns," accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ San Mateo Labor Council, “Endorsements November Election 2013”, accessed October 23, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 League of Women Voters of California, "Measure U Business License Tax City of Foster City," accessed October 23, 2013
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