No. Small business owners and homeowners won’t pay a cent for Preschool for All.
Measure DD is a modest tax affecting only large commercial office parcels over 25,000 square feet. Non-office commercial sites like grocery stores, warehouses, and restaurants will not be affected by Measure DD. And if an unintended parcel (such as a mixed-use parcel) would be affected, the city manager always has discretion to set the appropriate tax rate, or to exempt the parcel entirely.
The parcel tax rate of $2.50 per square foot is modeled on East Palo Alto’s Measure HH, which passed in 2018 with nearly 80% in favor—and hasn’t slowed down commercial office developments at all. In fact, a study commissioned by the City of South San Francisco determined that Measure DD will incentivize redevelopment in South City, especially of low-density parcels.
Importantly, the guarantee of universal preschool in South City will help our small businesses attract and retain employees. That goes double for South City’s struggling preschools and child care providers, who will receive funding to pay their skilled workers 230% of the local minimum wage.