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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – This week Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) introduced AB 525 to help small and new businesses stay open when faced with unexpected tax bills.
“The tax code is complex for anyone, but for a new business it can be overwhelming and lead to unintended mistakes. Few small businesses have accounting specialists, so the responsibility falls on the owner. The Offer in Compromise Program provides entrepreneurs with a second chance if they find out that they’ve made a mistake calculating or reporting their taxes,” said Aguiar-Curry.
The Board of Equalization, or BOE, operates the Offer in Compromise Program, which gives BOE authority to compromise on a tax plan with a business owner who may be unable to pay unexpected business taxes in full.
This can happen if the owner does not realize their transactions are subject to sales tax and can force them to close.
“Running a small business in California is challenging and sometimes they run into trouble. Small businesses are vital to California’s economy and the Offer in Compromise program is a critical tool that helps these mom and pop stores stay open,” said Board of Equalization Chairwoman Fiona Ma, CPA. “The end of this program would devastate small business owners trying to stay afloat, while simultaneously causing an unnecessary hit to California’s economy. We need AB 525 to continue this important program to keep our businesses running and contributing to our economy.”
This particular part of the Offer in Compromise Program is scheduled to sunset on Jan. 1, 2018.
AB 525 will make permanent the Board of Equalization’s authority to operate the Program. If the provision were allowed to sunset, small businesses that face unanticipated taxes would be forced to pay their back taxes in full or be forced out of business.
Since 2009, the BOE has accepted compromises from 42 businesses that remain open today and continue to pay their sales and use taxes properly and on time – totaling an additional $14.3 million to the benefit of state and local governments.
“I am proud to partner with the BOE and Chairwoman Ma on this important legislation,” said Aguiar-Curry. “The Offer in Compromise Program has been proven to work. Giving small businesses a second chance to meet their tax responsibilities and be successful not only saves jobs, but also helps our State fund important programs. This is a great example of the creative way our Government can and should work.”
Cecilia Aguiar-Curry represents California’s Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Colusa, Lake, Napa and Yolo counties, Dixon in Solano County and Rohnert in Sonoma County. Visit her Web site at www.asm.ca.gov/aguiar-curry .
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Officials with the city of Lakeport said Friday that additional streets have flooded and conditions have worsened at Library Park.
The Lakeport Public Works Department said the intersection of Giselman Street and Lakeshore Boulevard is flooding and Lakeshore Boulevard from the city limits to Lange Street is flooded with debris on the roadway.
The city has closed Giselman to Lakeshore and set up a detour. Northbound traffic will use Green Street to Sayer Street to Giselman Street, while southbound traffic will use Giselman Street to Sayer Street to Green Street.
Public Works officials advised the public to use extreme caution in this area.
In Library Park, which has remained closed to the public since Feb. 9, conditions also have become more serious due to Friday's storm, officials said.
The park is taking 3 to 4 foot waves from Clear Lake, officials said.
Public Works said there is absolutely no admittance into the park area due to the extreme danger.
NICE, Calif. – A Lower Lake man died early Friday after he was struck by a vehicle while walking along Highway 20.
The California Highway Patrol did not release the name of the 35-year-old man in its initial Friday report on the crash.
The CHP said that at 12:10 a.m. Friday Matthew Hochleutner, 51, of Upper Lake was driving his 2006 Toyota Tundra eastbound on Highway 20, west of Pomo Way near Robinson Rancheria, at an estimated speed of 50 miles per hour.
At the same time, the pedestrian was walking in or about the eastbound lane and south shoulder of Highway 20, the CHP said.
Hochleutner was unable to see the pedestrian until just before his vehicle hit the man. The CHP said the Toyota's right-side headlight, bumper, grill and hood hit the pedestrian, who was thrown onto the highway's south shoulder.
Northshore Fire Protection District personnel who arrived at the scene minutes later pronounced the pedestrian dead, the CHP said.
The CHP said Hochleutner was evaluated at the scene and it was determined that he was not under the influence. It is not yet known if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors for the pedestrian.
Hochleutner was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash and was uninjured, the CHP said.
CHP Officer Bews is investigating the crash.
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NICE, Calif. – A pedestrian died early Friday morning after being hit by a vehicle on Highway 20.
Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters, the California Highway Patrol and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash, first reported just before 12:15 a.m. Friday, according to radio reports.
Initial reports said the individual was hit by a vehicle described as a Toyota Tundra on Highway 20 in front of Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino.
The pedestrian was found lying on the eastbound side of the highway, according to fire units arriving at the scene minutes after dispatch.
Shortly after their arrival, firefighters reported that the injured pedestrian had died.
Initial reports on the incident were limited, and more information will be posted as it becomes available.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport officials said that Library Park remains closed to the public due to flooding.
On Feb. 9, the city of Lakeport closed the park for public safety and to prevent further damage.
Since that time, many people have ignored the closed signs and entered the flooded areas of the park, which is causing further damage. The city said it continues to have crews working in the park to protect the infrastructure.
To further assist with encouraging people to follow the closure the city said it has added barrier-tape between the "park closed" signs.
Police officers will be patrolling the area and persons found entering are subject to citation for entering a closed area, officials said.
The city said people are still welcome to view the park from open sidewalks on Park, First and Third streets.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Thursday, the California Department of Water Resources said it had begun reducing outflow from the Oroville Dam as part of the ongoing repairs to the dam’s spillway.
The agency said that while construction crews continued work to remediate the emergency spillway’s erosion, water flow from the flood control spillway was reduced incrementally from 100,000 to 80,000 cubic feet per second.
The outflow reduction allowed crews to begin removing debris from the diversion pool below the spillway, officials said.
The Department of Water Resources said that removal of debris from the diversion pool further protects, safeguards and provides for the eventual reoperation of the Hyatt power plant.
At the same time, the reduced outflow still provides for the reduction of reservoir levels within the timeframes prescribed by the Department of Water Resources.
State officials said Thursday that the reservoir’s level has so far been reduced by 36 feet to accommodate inflow from upcoming storms. Inflows from forecasted inclement weather are not expected to exceed current outflows.
The trail system directly affected by the damaged spillway include the Brad Freeman and Dan Beebe trails; officials said those trails have been closed. Launch ramps serving the lake also remain closed.
California State Park Rangers are providing roving patrols due to a large number of contacts in the closed area, officials said.
On Sunday, 188,000 people in Butte, Sutter and Yolo counties were ordered to evacuate due to concerns about the emergency spillway failing. That evacuation order later was changed to a warning, according to state and local officials.
