In its continuing effort to crush small businesses, the City of Tucson is holding three public meetings this month to allow the community and business leaders to discuss a proposal to require all businesses in city limits to offer sick time to their employees.
The Earned Sick & Safe Time Stakeholder Meetings will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. at different locations. The first is scheduled for this Wednesday at the Ward 5 Council Office, 4300 S. Park Ave. The other two meetings will be Jan. 21 at the Ward 6 Office, 3202 E. 1st St., and Jan. 28 at the Ward 2 Office, 7575 E. Speedway Blvd.
If you want to submit a comment and can’t attend a meeting, email econdev@tucsonaz.gov. Use “Earned Sick and Safe Time” in the subject line.
The proposal is expected to have devastating effects on small businesses that are already struggling to make payroll. On Monday, Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik advised constiuents in his newletter that the city is insolvent. Part ofthe reason for that is a reduction in revenues.With a failing local economy, both small businesses and the City are in danger of going bankrupt.
Kozachik is pushing for a tax increase. He wrote in his newsletter dated January 11: “Simply put, as we start this year’s budget discussions, we are facing a $42M hole. By doing nothing in the form of cost cutting and/or increasing revenues, that jumps to over $63M in three years. Much of that comes from the public safety pension, and very little of it will be affected by the May special election you may see that will be touted as a ‘fix’ to those pension costs. As you can see from the opening table, we’ll still be left with year-to-year obligations for current retirees and employees, regardless of what sort of hybrid system they propose for future hires.”
If Kozachik is successful in raising taxes, the City may be the only organization hiring in Tucson.