"This is a rare moment of consensus from virtually every sector." Whenever those words are spoken by a Supervisor, our Spidey-sense starts tingling because as we well know, nothing is so easily agreed upon in San Francisco. So what is it that has Supervisor Peskin feeling so optimistic? Tax hikes— tax hikes targeted towards big business and wealthy property owners that would double the real estate transfer tax on properties worth $5M or more. A couple of complications though: Not everyone approves the plan (we knew it!), most notably Mayor Newsom, himself being a local business owner. Many are against the proposed transfer-tax rebates for homes fitted with solar panels, as well as those that have seen seismic upgrades. Similar measures have failed before, but many in City Hall remain optimistic that the plan will be approved by voters in November — presuming, of course, that it's green lighted by the Board of Supervisors at today's meeting.
· Supes readying tax hikes for November ballot [SF Gate]
· Newsom: SF Homeowners Accountable for Retrofits [Curbed SF]
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