The City of Hayward announced plans today to ask Hayward voters in the Nov. 3 general election to support an ordinance modernizing the Hayward Business License Tax.

The Business License Tax, also known as the BLT, is what businesses that operate in Hayward pay at the start of each year to support city services that are important to the quality of life in Hayward and make the city a great place to live, visit and do business in.

It would be the first update of the ordinance in 48 years since the current version of the tax was adopted on July 11, 1978.

In voting unanimously on June 2 to place the modernization ordinance before voters in the Nov. 3 general election, City Councilmembers noted that the City’s 48-year-old Business License Tax no longer reflects the local economy and business environment and its rate structure hasn’t kept pace with the cost of providing city services.

Money raised by the Hayward BLT supports the City’s general fund, which pays for municipal services, primarily police protection, firefighting and 911 emergency medical response. They also include maintenance services, graffiti removal and pothole repair, library operations, support of public community events and efforts to maintain and construct more affordable housing.

The proposed ordinance to modernize the Hayward BLT would transition the City toward a more progressive gross-receipts-based structure with higher rates for higher-grossing, usually larger businesses and lower rates for lower-grossing, usually smaller businesses.

To learn more about the Hayward Business License Tax and plans to update it in the Nov. 3 general election, go to https://www.hayward-ca.gov/blt.