SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, small business owners across California urged Governor Newsom to publicly oppose Proposition 15, the largest property tax increase in state history, if he wants Main Street businesses to recover from the unprecedented economic crisis. To date, more than 100 local chambers of commerce and small business organizations throughout California are opposed to Prop 15.
Amidst the worst recession in a generation, Prop 15 will make continued operation even more challenging for small businesses. It will raise property taxes by $11.5 billion per year on commercial property and lead to higher rents for small business tenants. Small businesses, particularly those owned by minorities and women, have been disproportionately hurt by the COVID-19 crisis with many letting employees go and others facing bankruptcy and financial ruin.
“Governor Newsom, as a small business owner you understand the determination it takes to run a company and create jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated that dream for countless entrepreneurs. Prop 15 will make that dream unattainable,” said Cedrick White, president and CEO of the Antelope Valley Black Chamber of Commerce and owner White’s Concrete Construction. “In the midst of a historic economic downturn, now is hardly the time to raise property taxes and rents on small businesses.”
During a recent press conference, Governor Newsom shared his personal mantra, “you cannot be pro-job and anti-business.” Small business owners ask the governor to put those words into action by opposing Prop 15 immediately, when Main Street businesses most need help.
“Before the pandemic, nearly half of California workers were employed by a small business. If we want to return millions of unemployed Californians back to work, recovery must start with small businesses. If Governor Newsom is serious about helping small businesses, opposing Prop 15’s $11.5 billion tax hike is a no-brainer,” said Sandy Cajas, president and CEO of the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Earlier this month, small business owners shared personal stories about the challenges they face during the COVID-19 crisis and how Prop 15 will hurt them more when they are already struggling. An open letter from a small restaurant owner to Governor Newsom was published last week, urging him to oppose Prop 15 to support the small businesses who complied with his stay-at-home orders.
The following local chambers of commerce and small business organizations oppose Prop 15:
- African American Chamber of San Joaquin County
- American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Commerce, Orange County
- Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Asian Business Association Los Angeles
- Asian Business Institute & Resource Center
- Asian Industry Business 2 Business Association
- Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California Chapter
- Atwater Chamber of Commerce
- Bay Area Council
- Bay Area Salvadoran Chamber of Commerce
- Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce
- Brea Chamber of Commerce
- Burbank Chamber of Commerce
- Camarillo Chamber of Commerce
- Campbell Chamber of Commerce
- Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce
- Carmel Chamber of Commerce
- Carson Chamber of Commerce
- Central Valley Business Federation (BizFed)
- Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business, Santa Barbara County (COLAB)
- Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business, San Luis Obispo County (COLAB)
- Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce
- Dinuba Chamber of Commerce
- Dublin Chamber of Commerce
- El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce
- El Monte/South El Monte Chamber of Commerce
- Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce
- Encinitas Chamber of Commerce
- Fontana Chamber of Commerce
- Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Fremont Chamber of Commerce
- Fresno Chamber of Commerce
- Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce
- Glendale Chamber of Commerce
- Glendora Chamber of Commerce
- Goleta Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
- Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Hayward Chamber of Commerce
- Hispanic Chambers of Commerce San Francisco
- Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
- Huntington Park Chamber of Commerce
- Inland Empire Economic Partnership
- La Mesa Chamber of Commerce
- La Verne Chamber of Commerce
- Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce
- Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
- Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce
- Lodi Chamber of Commerce
- Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
- Los Angeles Business Council
- Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed)
- Los Molinos Chamber of Commerce
- Malibu Chamber of Commerce
- Manteca Chamber of Commerce
- Modesto Chamber of Commerce
- Monrovia Chamber of Commerce
- Mountain View Chamber of Commerce
- Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce
- Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce
- North Orange County Chamber of Commerce
- North Sacramento Chamber of Commerce
- North San Diego Business Chamber
- Norwalk Chamber of Commerce
- Oceanside Chamber of Commerce
- Orange County Business Council
- Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Oxnard Chamber of Commerce
- Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce
- Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association
- Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce
- Rancho Cordova Area Chamber of Commerce
- Regional California Black Chamber of Commerce- San Fernando Valley
- Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Gabriel Valley
- Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Rosemead Chamber of Commerce
- Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
- Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange
- San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
- San Francisco Chinatown Merchants Association
- San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
- San Marcos Chamber of Commerce
- San Ramon Chamber of Commerce
- Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce
- Silicon Valley Leadership Group
- San Luis Obispo County Builders Exchange
- South County Chambers of Commerce
- Southwest California Legislative Council
- Taft District Chamber of Commerce
- The Silicon Valley Organization
- Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce
- Tulare Chamber of Commerce
- Valley Industry Commerce Association
- Vernon Chamber of Commerce
- Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce
- West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
- Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
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ABOUT NO ON PROP 15 – STOP HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES AND SAVE PROP 13
No on Prop 15 – Stop Higher Property Taxes and Save Prop 13, a bipartisan coalition of homeowners, taxpayers, and businesses, has been fighting to protect Prop 13 and oppose a split-roll property tax for more than a decade. For more information, please visit www.NOonProp15.org.