Gross Receipts Tax Measures Introduced – Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisor John Avalos introduced two competing business tax reform measures for the November ballot. Both measures would replace San Francisco’s 1.5 percent payroll tax with a variable gross receipts tax rate based on industry-specific fee schedules. Mayor Lee’s proposal is revenue neutral in taxation, but will raise the city’s business registration fee revenues from $8 million to $21 million annually. The measure proposed by Supervisor Avalos includes $40 million in annual license fee revenue and would eliminate current payroll tax exemptions for biotech, cleantech and Mid-Market companies. “San Francisco’s payroll tax and license fee collections are robust delivering over $400 million to the city’s General Fund each year,” said Chamber President & CEO Steve Falk. “It is simply untrue that the city lost revenue following the elimination of its illegal tax system in 2001 as Supervisor Avalos has claimed. In reality, tax collections have increased 45 percent since 2000 and continue to grow twice as fast as inflation.” The Chamber will continue to refute the misleading claims made by Supervisor Avalos and work with our members, Mayor Lee and the City Controller to reach a consensus measure that is fair, broad-based and revenue neutral. Members are encouraged to send feedback to the Board of Supervisors and attend upcoming informational meetings hosted by City Controller Benjamin Rosenfield Friday June 15 at 9:30 am and/or Tuesday June 19 at 5 pm at City Hall, Room 305. Contact Jim Lazarus at jlazarus@sfchamber.com or 415.352.8810. Read more.

U.S. Open in San Francisco – The U.S. Open Championship, made possible with support from Chamber members IBM, Chevron, Bank of America, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Union Bank, Wells Fargo and others, is being held in San Francisco this week generating excitement for the sport and boosting the Bay Area economy. The famed golf tournament has attracted more than 200,000 people and is expected to generate more than $140 million in economic benefits for the region. Chamber golf enthusiasts can continue the excitement by participating in the Chamber’s 2012 Annual CityGolf Classic presented by Recology July 26 at Harding Park. Sponsorships and foursome packages are still available. Contact Melanie Seltzer at mseltzer@sfchamber.com or 415.352.8840. Read more and register.

8 Washington Moves Ahead – The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved the Chamber-supported 8 Washington development Tuesday, which will bring housing, retail and open space to the parking lot located on Seawall Lot 351 at the corner of Embarcadero and Washington Streets. “This project invests in our city’s Port infrastructure and delivers substantial economic benefits to San Francisco,” said Chamber President & CEO Steve Falk. “The Chamber applauds Supervisors Chu, Cohen, Elsbernd, Farrell, Kim, Mar, Olague and Wiener for their votes helping our city to continue urban renewal along our prized waterfront.” The economy-boosting project will create more than 140 permanent jobs, generate $1 million annually for the city, contribute $11 million for affordable housing, provide health club access for city-run programs, and levy a 50-cent parking surcharge for street-scape and transit improvements. NIMBY opponents threatened to continue to try to stop the project by referendum and lawsuits. Read more.

Envisioning Mission Rock – Chamber members got an overview of the Mission Rock development planned by the San Francisco Giants and the Cordish Companies Tuesday at the June Public Policy Forum. The 1.6 billion, 27-acre project will transform Seawall Lot 337, currently used as a ballpark parking lot, and adjacent Pier 48 into a vibrant mixed-use community including: 1,000 rental apartments, 1.7 million square feet of office space, 25,000 square feet of shops and local retail and a spectacular bayside park. “We’re the Giants, we’re not real estate developers,” said Jack Bair, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the San Francisco Giants. “But we built a ballpark, we are part of the neighborhood, and we are excited about the possibility of creating a very special destination in Mission Bay.” Chamber members Perkins + Will, Hathaway Dinwiddie, Nibbi Bros. and WSP Flack + Kurtz Inc. are partners in the project, which will be one of the largest urban mixed-use projects the nation. Read more.

Advertise in the 2013 Chamber Directory – Thousands of people rely on the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce each year for referrals to local businesses. One of the best ways to capitalize on these referrals is to advertise in San Francisco Business, the Chamber’s Annual Member Directory and Resource Guide. The Chamber is now in production for our 2013 edition. Advertisers receive multiple free Internet hyperlinks and benefit from 24/7 online exposure. Reasonable ad rates with free ad copy and design preparation available. Contact, Tommy Stroup at directory@sfchamber.com or 408.858.5418 . Read more.

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