Sherman Oaks, CA- The United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley and Region Government Affairs Committee passed motions on several 

issues at their meeting on Monday, February 12, 2018.   

ACA-22: Middle Class Fiscal Relief Act

The Middle Class Fiscal Relief Act “would impose a surcharge of 10% on the net income of all corporations that is over $1,000,000,” and would deposit the income into the Middle Class Fiscal Relief Fund. Funds from this surcharge could be allocated for specific purposes, including fiscal benefits to lower and middle-income Californians.

The motion to oppose the ACA-22 was made by Committee Co-Chair Richard Fisk, and seconded by Committee-Member Sean McCarthy. One Committee Member described the motion as, “just another tax on business, making the state less and less friendly to businesses.”

SB-827: Housing projects in “transit-rich” areas

SB-827 seeks to provide certain development bonuses and exemptions for “transit-rich housing projects” – housing projects that are built within 1/2 a mile of a “major transit stop” or within 1/4 mile of a “high-quality transit corridor”. The bill is presented as a step to address California’s severe housing shortage and transportation issues.

However, the bill threatens to override certain local land-use regulations, reducing the ability of local governments to control development in their jurisdictions. A motion to oppose SB-827 was made at the meeting, and passed by unanimous vote.

SB-993: Sales tax: Services

SB-993, introduced by State Senator Hertzberg, would impose a sales tax on services provided by businesses. Some services, such as healthcare, would be exempted from the tax. Revenue from the tax would be used to fund California’s various middle-class relief, infrastructure, and other initiatives.

However, it was argued that a service sales tax would be very difficult to calculate or enforce, and would wreak havoc on wide swaths of the state’s business community. A motion to oppose SB-993 was made at the meeting, and passed by unanimous vote, including 2 abstentions.