Snubbed councilwoman votes against business tax; support dropping

City Councilwoman Alison Cormack

BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer

After negotiations with business leaders went nowhere, the Palo Alto City Council has put off a decision until August on whether to put a business tax on the November ballot.

The majority on council lost Councilwoman Alison Cormack in supporting the business tax on Monday. She said she was “close to cold feet” after talking to voters about the tax over the last week, and she pointed out that Mayor Pat Burt didn’t tell her who was on the committee negotiating with business leaders on a potential compromise.

Council members will make a final decision on the business tax …

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4 Comments

  1. Palo Alto has a high commercial vacancy rate now. With the recession, businesses will be choosy about where they operate, and those vast empty buildings will remain vacant. That means fewer people visiting the town’s restaurants and shops. I don’t think council members or the city staff understand how business works. But if they get this tax, they’ll get a lesson in economics.

  2. Of course we need a business tax – now. All surrounding cities have had one for years and it benefits them greatly. Had we had one, we wouldn’t have taken such a financial hit during Covid.

    Residents are shouldering a hugely disproportionate tax burden compared to commercial interests – its obscene.

    What nonsense to delay the tax by saying it’s just bad timing. It never will be good timing for the corporate parasites that Cormack serves (how much longer till she’s termed out? Every week she becomes more bitter, which seems to effect her judgment).

    Small business will be exempt. Now is the perfect time to wise up at long last.

  3. Business owners already pay up to 49,3% in state and federal taxes. For the people who say high earners should pay their “fair share” what exactly is that number? Is it fair that a person has to pay half of what they make in taxes?

    At what point does a taxpayer say, “Screw this, I’m moving to a state where I can keep more of my own money”?

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