City Details Business License Tax Modernization Plan on November Ballot

Hayward officials have published an informational overview of Measure CC, an initiative on the November ballot that would reshape how the city taxes local businesses. The City Council unanimously decided earlier this year to ask voters to overhaul the system for the first time since July 1978.

Under the existing rules, license fees have remained essentially unchanged for 48 years, trailing the growth of municipal expenses and changes in the local economy. Measure CC proposes shifting to a progressive structure based on gross receipts, which would lower costs for smaller neighborhood shops while raising rates on higher-earning corporations.

City financial projections indicate the restructured tax would generate roughly $12 million annually in general revenue. If approved by Hayward voters, the funds would go toward core community operations, such as firefighter staffing, police response, street repairs, and library programs.