With the clock ticking toward the final deadline, the Palo Alto City Council deferred yet again its decision on creating a business tax in hopes of reaching a last-second compromise with a coalition of opponents.
The council has until Aug. 12 to submit to Santa Clara County a resolution that would place a business tax on the November ballot. To meet this deadline, council members voted to schedule a special meeting for Wednesday night where they will take final action on the business tax measure. They will also take action on a separate measure that would reaffirm the city’s historic practice of transferring funds from the gas utility to the general fund, a policy that was halted by a lawsuit from resident Miriam Green.
Council members have been discussing the business tax for more than four years and have had three opportunities prior to Monday’s meeting to place the item on the ballot, opting to punt each time. At each meeting,…
