Letter: Measure O closes loophole in Antioch’s business license tax ordinance
Dear Editor:
Measure O is an ordinance that will update the City of Antioch’s existing Business License Tax Ordinance. It will close the loophole that inadvertently allowed residential rental property landlords to not pay licensing fees.
I am a homeowner and a senior citizen and I’m writing to address the California Apartment Association’s (CAA) stated opposition to Measure O. The CAA says; “Many senior citizens will ultimately be paying for the Measure O tax.”
That statement is untrue. Many senior citizens will not be affected by this fee. Most senior citizens are homeowners. Sure, the fee will affect those seniors who are residential rental property landlords and some seniors who are renters of apartments or homes. Their rent will be increased if the landlord adds the fee onto the rental rate. The fee for landlords will be $20.83 per month for single family rental homes, or $12.83 per month, per unit in multi-family rental units.
Renters, homeowners, and businesses alike want increased police services and robust code enforcement. This ordinance is an equitable solution, closing the loophole, and will require residential rental landlords be included in the business licensing structure.
Voters: please support the Residential Rental Property Landlord Fee and vote YES on Measure O this November 2014.
Marie Livingston
Antioch
The people who are going to get hurt if measure O passes are the residents. Those who rent will see prices rise and those who own will see the value of their homes impaired because there will be less investors willing to put their money to work in our community. The biggest casualty of them all is an unintended victim though. It will be those who are listing their homes on AirBNB to make a little bit of an extra income to get by. The minimum tax is substantial enough that you either have to be a pro like the apartments are or you have to stay out of the game. The only ones who win in this are the local hotels because they’ll see less competition and the city employees because they’ll have even more money to line their pensions with.
Skip’s objections to Measure O are just scare tactics lacking basis or merit. Homeowners will not be negatively affected. Rather, at no cost to themselves, homeowners will receive benefits icluding improved policing, code enforcement, and other City services to clean-up Antioch, which will improve their property values. BnB’s (bed and breakfast overnight room rentals) are not “detached single family homes” nor “multi-unit apartments,” and will not be charged any fees under Measure O. Local hotels will not benefit or be otherwise affected.
The fees to be imposed on rental houses and apartments will be very modest, amounting to only about one percent of average rental rates. Certainly not enough to discourage small or large investments in rental housing. To the contrary, a well policed, maintained and clean city will attract more investment in housing and in other businesses. And the added revenue will not go toward increased City employee pensions. Vote yes on Measure O.
I support measure O. This will increase funds for local resources. The ones who are mostly using up our police resources are the problem rentals. Other residents can’t get police help when needed.
Something needs to be done and the loophole needs to be closed. These rentals are like any other business and need to pay their share. Every city in the Bay Area has rental fees why not Antioch?
Don’t forget, Measure O Was written by a group of SENIORS, my friends on this page included, who dedicated two years of their lives to writing this measure and another year negotiating with the Apartment Owners who refused to negotiate any terms. So we went ahead, along with the city, to get this measure on the ballot.
Apartment owners do not live in this city or contribute anything to our city.
The SENIORS who wrote this measure each have lived in this city 25 years or more. I have lived here over 45 years. We are contributing
to our city.
YES on Measure O