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Audit committee forwards ordinance adjusting short-term lodging tax exemption thresholds to Board
Summary
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee voted 2-0 to forward an ordinance amending the Business and Tax Regulations Code that would change daily and weekly transient-occupancy tax exemption thresholds and require a multi-year controller review of those exemptions.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on June 20 voted to forward an ordinance to the full Board that would change exemption thresholds for the city’s transient-occupancy (hotel) tax.
Clerk Monique Creighton read the ordinance as written: it would amend the Business and Tax Regulations Code to increase the daily exemption threshold from less than $52 to less than $60 and increase the weekly exemption threshold from less than $130 to less than $149. The ordinance also directs the City Controller to review the exemption amounts during a period described in the ordinance as between 09/27/2027 and September 2029 to consider further adjustments.
Sonny Angulo, introduced as chief of staff for President Erin Pest and identified by the committee as the item’s sponsor, described the measure as an adjustment to the “hotel tax” that applies to hotels, motels and short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. Angulo said the change grew out of prior work related to the city’s agreement with Airbnb and conceded he did not know the controller’s methodology for the review. In his remarks Angulo stated, “so in this case, we’re lowering it from $60 a day to 52,” a statement that conflicts with the clerk’s oral reading of the ordinance (which described increases to the thresholds). The committee record shows the ordinance language as read by the clerk; the transcript captures both the clerk’s reading and the sponsor’s differing characterization.
Chair Dean Preston moved to forward the item to the Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation. The clerk recorded votes of Vice Chair Katherine Stephanie and Chair Preston as 'Aye'; the motion passed 2-0 with Supervisor Chan excused. No members of the public spoke on the item.
The ordinance will move to the full Board for consideration at its next scheduled meeting; the ordinance text directs the Controller to perform the specified review between late 2027 and 2029 as noted above.
