Budget and Finance Committee forwards tax, airport, utilities, contracts and leases to full Board; all measures pass committee

At its March 5 meeting the Budget and Finance Committee unanimously forwarded a package of ordinances, contract amendments, emergency declarations and real property leases to the full Board of Supervisors. Committee votes were 3–0 (Vice Chair Matt Dorsey, Supervisor Joel Engadio and Chair Connie Chan voting aye) on each motion recorded in the hearing.

Below are short summaries of each item the committee advanced and the committee action recorded in the hearing.

• Item 2 — Voluntary Disclosure Agreement and advanced written determination fees (ordinance amending the Business and Tax Regulations Code) The Treasurer and Tax Collector presented an ordinance to authorize a voluntary disclosure agreement (VDA) program that would allow unregistered taxpayers who come forward to pay unpaid back taxes to receive waivers of penalties and interest for up to six prior years, and to authorize an advanced written determination fee program required under Proposition M. Staff said an informal VDA program has already generated $2.9 million in collected prior-year taxes and $1.6 million ongoing; the department projects approximately $1.5 million in prior-year revenue and $1.0 million ongoing if the ordinance is authorized. The committee voted to forward the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation (3–0).

• Item 3 — Suspension of the empty homes tax pending litigation (ordinance) The ordinance would suspend the empty homes tax while litigation in San Francisco Superior Court…