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Small business owners and sole proprietors press council for BERT exemptions and clearer analysis
Summary
Dozens of sole proprietors, immigrant‑run small businesses and advocates testified during public comment urging an exemption or narrowly tailored relief from the city's business income and receipts tax (BERT) for sole proprietors and single‑member LLCs, and asking council to schedule a dedicated hearing and to include multiplier effects in revenue analysis.
A long sequence of public comments filled much of the finance committee’s hearing, focused on the business income and receipts tax (BERT) and city proposals to exempt some childcare businesses. The chair clarified that two related childcare/BERT bills (250,519 and 251,026) will be coordinated over the summer by Councilmembers Driscoll and Thomas and that one of the bills was not scheduled for today’s hearing.
Speakers included sole proprietors, small grocers, therapists, child‑care providers, corridor managers and community organizations. Many said they had received unexpectedly large BERT bills this spring that they could not afford, described the practical hardship of estimating and paying the tax, and asked council to exempt narrowly defined classes (most commenters asked for sole proprietors and single‑member LLCs owned by individuals). Advocates such as the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance and local corridor managers presented collections of small‑business statements documenting financial strain and urged the city to include multiplier effects in fiscal analyses.
Direct quote: "I've been in business for 30 years and things in the U.S. have never been as tough as they are now," said a business owner whose remarks were read by a community representative. Other commenters gave concrete figures for their BERT bills and described the tax as a material financial burden.
Outcome: The chair affirmed that council members Driscoll and Thomas committed to working together over the summer on a combined bill and pledged to provide a fair hearing in the fall. No ordinance vote occurred; the matter remains in discussion and subject to further hearings and fiscal analysis.
