Note: “Let us be clear – Mayor Schaaf and her administration oppose ANY cuts to the budget at this time. That’s why we oppose the Council’s proposed $4 million tax break for the highest-grossing cannabis businesses in Oakland. The Oakland City Council asked us to identify the least-impactful cuts needed to maintain a balanced budget IF the tax-break is approved. Our response to the Council’s request is to freeze new positions that have never been filled, as well as delay recently approved increases to services that have yet to be enacted.”
Justin Berton, Spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf
OAKLAND, CA – On Friday, December 6, 2019, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf sent the following message to Oakland residents regarding Oakland City Council’s proposed $4 million a year tax-break to Oakland’s largest cannabis businesses.
A message from Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf:
This Tuesday December 10th, our Oakland City Council is poised to give a massive $4 million a year tax-break to Oakland’s largest cannabis businesses. I urge you to call your councilmembers to oppose this reckless give-away.
Last Spring, the City Council already reduced taxes for the smallest 150 of the 195 registered cannabis businesses in Oakland. Tuesday’s proposed action will benefit the largest businesses — with most of it going to a handful of businesses that gross more than $1.5 million a year!
And IF the Oakland City Council approves this irresponsible tax-break, insist they are transparent and responsible by specifying the services they will cut to pay for it. By law, the City Council must maintain a balanced budget.
A tax break for the wealthiest cannabis businesses is a bad deal for Oaklanders. Our city faces urgent challenges and is under-resourced to solve them. Even though we are spending historic amounts of resources to combat our homelessness crisis and build more affordable housing, we are still deeply under-funded in those critical areas.
How can we justify a massive tax break for big cannabis right now?
I urge you to contact your City Councilmember today and ask them to vote “no” on the big cannabis tax-break.
Sincerely,
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf
ACTION REQUEST: Call your Councilmember at 238-700[your district #] or Email all Councilmembers to express your concerns at [email protected]. At Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s office can be reached at 238-7008.