The Municipal Council of East Palo Alto has placed Measure L on the November 8, 2022 ballot for voter consideration, which is intended to help fund general government uses and community priorities such as housing.
Measure L provides for programs that help pay rent for needy tenants; affordable and accessible housing programs; protect local tenants and landlords from displacement and homelessness.
Residential rents in the East Palo Alto area have increased substantially, transferring income from tenants to landlords, most of whom live outside East Palo Alto.
Measure L would update the 2016 voter-approved business tax by increasing the business tax rate on certain residential rents and expanding its applicability.
This tax does not apply to accessory or second dwelling units, rooms rented in dwellings, or social housing. In addition, the law provides a hardship exemption.
This tax cannot be charged to tenants.
The ballot that voters will receive for the November 8 mid-term elections will include a text in English and Spanish with the following information, which voters can only respond with a yes or no answer:
"To fund general government uses, such as programs for affordable housing, providing tenant rental assistance, and protecting local residents from eviction and homelessness, the City of East Palo Alto's current business activity tax of 1.5% of gross receipts for landlords with five or more residential rental units, which cannot be passed through to tenants, be set at 2.5% of gross receipts for all residential rental units, until it is repealed by the voters or reduced by the Council, raising approximately $1,480,000 annually?"
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