Small businesses are the lifeblood of San Francisco's economy and proponents say passage of Prop M on Tuesday is needed to keep them going.

In November 2020 during the throes of COVID-19, San Francisco voters passed Proposition F, approving temporary 40% tax cuts for the businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. That measure also included tax increases for other industries that could be delayed unless the city reached certain economic recovery thresholds.

Looking back, it’s clear that San Francisco’s recovery would have been significantly slower without these benefits. Giving restaurants, hotels and small businesses a break was an easy decision at that time. Four years later, however, our economy still isn’t back to normal.

Yet, as spelled out in Prop F, the temporary tax cuts that helped many of our businesses survive are set to expire.

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Starting Jan. 1, small and medium-sized businesses in retail, food services, manufacturing, hotels, and the arts and entertainment industries will have their gross receipts tax rates increase by about 50% for 2025, with a 33% increase in 2026. Every small business owner........

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