Foster City to Postpone Inclusion of the Business License Tax (BLT) in Upcoming November 2022 Election

For immediate release: July 6, 2022

Contact: City Manager Department, (650) 286-3220, manager@fostercity.org

The City of Foster City has decided to postpone the consideration of placing a ballot measure for the Business License Tax (BLT) on the November 8, 2022 General Election. This decision will allow staff and Council to conduct more thorough research and analysis to explore various types of business license tax methodologies and ensure that the updated tax model will be equitable to businesses of all sizes, both small and large. During this time, the City will conduct additional outreach to impacted members of the business community for stakeholder engagement and clear insight with a continued goal of a robust local economy as part of an ongoing commitment to attract and retain businesses. Additionally, the City will continue to track business license tax methods in neighboring communities as part of this ongoing analysis.

“The City Council acknowledges the value and diversity that our local businesses bring to the community, and we want to ensure that every decision we make that affects these businesses is done with careful and thoughtful planning. Increased collaboration with our businesses, ingraining them in the fabric of our community, and making decisions by working together is paramount. That’s why enhanced outreach to business owners will be a major component of our assessment process.” said Richa Awasthi, Mayor of Foster City.

The City Council may consider placing this measure on a future ballot once additional analysis and outreach have been completed. The next regularly scheduled municipal election is in November 2024.

For more information on this matter, please reach out to the City Manager Department by email at manager@fostercity.org or by phone at (650) 286-3220.

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