We strongly support the elimination of our county's cannabis cultivation tax, as the state and many other county's have done. This will bring relief to many small businesses who will likely use these savings to support other small Mendocino businesses in return.
BOS: Support Cannabis Tax Reform now. When a mandatory tax exists in Mendocino County for ONLY cannabis farmers where they're required to pay the county money, even though the farmers didn't earn money, but are forced to pay taxes, is simply unjust. My comment represents 100s of residents of Mendocino. So do each of the other comments you receive. The memo from MCA represents the members of MCA, not just small farmers. See the MCA memo, which I support. If you want farmers to succeed, below are solutions for tax reform:
"1. Completely suspend the Mendocino Minimum Cannabis Cultivation Tax;
2. Immediately suspend penalties and interest that have accumulated to date;
3. Implement a payment plan for back taxes (and any future taxes);
4. Levy cannabis taxes on the amount of canopy grown as opposed to Permit size; and
5. Work with stakeholders to sponsor an ordinance change to the Tax Code that
would base cultivation taxes on Gross Receipts with no guaranteed minimum."
Because you CAN: 6.32.3003
"Amendment or repeal. The Board of Supervisors of the County
of Mendocino is authorized to repeal this Chapter 6.32 without a vote of
the people to the extent allowed by law. The Board of Supervisors of
The County of Mendocino is further authorized to amend this Chapter 6.32 in
any manner that does not increase the tax rate above the maximum rate
specified for each category of business or in a manner that otherwise
constitutes a tax increase for which voter approval is required by Article
Xlll C of the California Constitution.”
Thank you, Marnie B
I would like to urge the Board of Supervisors in the strongest possible way to take emergency action and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE immediately suspended 100% of the Measure S Cannabis taxes being levied on licensed cannabis cultivators.
When the state decided to allow multiple cultivation licenses to be stacked by single entities, the landscape was set for there to be severe over production of cannabis. Six years into the legalization of cannabis, that overproduction has arrived. Coupled with the fact that a majority of jurisdictions throughout the state have elected to restrict or deny any cannabis activity, a limited number of retail outlets for which legal cannabis can be sold has resulted in a bottle-necking of the flow of cannabis to the marketplace. Thus, the price of wholesale cannabis has fallen to levels in which the cultivator is lucky to even sell their product, usually at an amount less than what it cost to produce it. These current market conditions, the exorbitant costs to be compliant, and the inability for cannabis businesses to write off many normal business expenses is making it impossible for the small and larger cultivators in our county to be able to continue to operate. The required minimum tax of $5000 regardless of the amount of sales is the nail in the coffin. This minimum tax will be more than 10% of my TOTAL of cannabis flower last year.
Please repeal this tax so that cannabis, a large economic driver for our county can continue to survive, and hopefully someday, once again thrive.
It's time for a Mendocino County Cannabis Tax reform
I would like to remind this Board that you all sent a letter to the State of California asking to change the State Cultivation tax. California has since eliminated the cultivation tax, but nothing has been achieved in Mendocino County to change or eliminate the cultivation tax.
Many jurisdictions in California have moved to lower or suspend their cultivation tax, Mendocino County should be next to show they support this local industry.
Please put a Mendocino county tax reform on the next available Board of supervisors Agenda.
I STRONGLY SUPPORT ELIMINATING ALL CANNABIS CULTIVATION TAXES INCLUDING THE ANNUAL TRUE UP!! The 5000$ I pay annually is nothing but a strong arm tactic to further extort cannabis farmers and fill the county coffers via cannabis. I have been in this program since 2017. I have paid 25,000$ in True Up taxes and STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ISSUED MY PERMIT! It has been a gross overstep that the county ever charged us this tax in the first place. THE STATE NO LONGER CHARGES CULTIVATION TAX AND NEITHER SHOULD MENDOCINO COUNTY!!!
This extortion has gone on long enough. People are being denied permits over this absurdly egregious True Up tax. You charge us these taxes and ALL WE HAVE IS AN EMBOSSED RECEIPT!! As of today I have been trying to contact MCD for a week. No one returns emails. No one returns messages. No one answers the phone. WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY SUCH HIGH TAXES IN RETURN FOR ZERO SERVICES!! This entire program and legal cannabis in California has been the most epic failure! We small farmers and purveyors of the craft have been the sacrificial lamb and Mendocino County appears to be reveling in our death. If you continue to place this heavy tax burden on us farmers, you will eventually drive us all out. More and more I believe that is what you want. No cannabis in Mendocino. If you do want our industry to thrive in Mendocino County, eliminate entirely the annual True up tax and ALL cultivation taxes. I strongly support MCA’s opinion in this matter.
it is only fair that if the state is helping to reduce the burden on small farmers by eliminating the cultivation tax and that humbolt county has forgiven completely the tax on cultivators that Mendocino county do the same. any other action would be biased and unfair to the small business owners that so willingly stepped forward to obey the counties onerous regulations which other counties do not have to suffer. why must mendo be the county that punishes cannabis growers while the rest of the states counties and the world at large is reducing the barriers for cannabis growers. PLEASE wake up BOS of MENDO and fall in line with the will of the people of mendocino county, the state of california, and the UNITED STATES
BOS,
Tokin Terps Family Farm STRONGLY SUPPORTS Cannabis Tax Reform as outlined in MCA's Memo. We are on our knees.......PLEASE HELP!
Hello BOS,
We strongly support the elimination of our county's cannabis cultivation tax, as the state and many other county's have done. This will bring relief to many small businesses who will likely use these savings to support other small Mendocino businesses in return.
Thank you,
Patricia Vargas
BOS: Support Cannabis Tax Reform now. When a mandatory tax exists in Mendocino County for ONLY cannabis farmers where they're required to pay the county money, even though the farmers didn't earn money, but are forced to pay taxes, is simply unjust. My comment represents 100s of residents of Mendocino. So do each of the other comments you receive. The memo from MCA represents the members of MCA, not just small farmers. See the MCA memo, which I support. If you want farmers to succeed, below are solutions for tax reform:
"1. Completely suspend the Mendocino Minimum Cannabis Cultivation Tax;
2. Immediately suspend penalties and interest that have accumulated to date;
3. Implement a payment plan for back taxes (and any future taxes);
4. Levy cannabis taxes on the amount of canopy grown as opposed to Permit size; and
5. Work with stakeholders to sponsor an ordinance change to the Tax Code that
would base cultivation taxes on Gross Receipts with no guaranteed minimum."
Because you CAN: 6.32.3003
"Amendment or repeal. The Board of Supervisors of the County
of Mendocino is authorized to repeal this Chapter 6.32 without a vote of
the people to the extent allowed by law. The Board of Supervisors of
The County of Mendocino is further authorized to amend this Chapter 6.32 in
any manner that does not increase the tax rate above the maximum rate
specified for each category of business or in a manner that otherwise
constitutes a tax increase for which voter approval is required by Article
Xlll C of the California Constitution.”
Thank you, Marnie B
Perrin Family Farm supports MCA's position and pleades with the Supervisors to remove local taxes. thanks Honorable Supervisors.
I would like to urge the Board of Supervisors in the strongest possible way to take emergency action and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE immediately suspended 100% of the Measure S Cannabis taxes being levied on licensed cannabis cultivators.
When the state decided to allow multiple cultivation licenses to be stacked by single entities, the landscape was set for there to be severe over production of cannabis. Six years into the legalization of cannabis, that overproduction has arrived. Coupled with the fact that a majority of jurisdictions throughout the state have elected to restrict or deny any cannabis activity, a limited number of retail outlets for which legal cannabis can be sold has resulted in a bottle-necking of the flow of cannabis to the marketplace. Thus, the price of wholesale cannabis has fallen to levels in which the cultivator is lucky to even sell their product, usually at an amount less than what it cost to produce it. These current market conditions, the exorbitant costs to be compliant, and the inability for cannabis businesses to write off many normal business expenses is making it impossible for the small and larger cultivators in our county to be able to continue to operate. The required minimum tax of $5000 regardless of the amount of sales is the nail in the coffin. This minimum tax will be more than 10% of my TOTAL of cannabis flower last year.
Please repeal this tax so that cannabis, a large economic driver for our county can continue to survive, and hopefully someday, once again thrive.
Please see the attached MCD De-Prioritization Program Update November 8, 2022.
Dear Mendocino County Supervisors
It's time for a Mendocino County Cannabis Tax reform
I would like to remind this Board that you all sent a letter to the State of California asking to change the State Cultivation tax. California has since eliminated the cultivation tax, but nothing has been achieved in Mendocino County to change or eliminate the cultivation tax.
Many jurisdictions in California have moved to lower or suspend their cultivation tax, Mendocino County should be next to show they support this local industry.
Please put a Mendocino county tax reform on the next available Board of supervisors Agenda.
Thanks
Matt Maguire
Countervail Inc supports MCA’s memo regarding the need for cannabis tax reform.
Honorable Supervisors,
I STRONGLY SUPPORT ELIMINATING ALL CANNABIS CULTIVATION TAXES INCLUDING THE ANNUAL TRUE UP!! The 5000$ I pay annually is nothing but a strong arm tactic to further extort cannabis farmers and fill the county coffers via cannabis. I have been in this program since 2017. I have paid 25,000$ in True Up taxes and STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ISSUED MY PERMIT! It has been a gross overstep that the county ever charged us this tax in the first place. THE STATE NO LONGER CHARGES CULTIVATION TAX AND NEITHER SHOULD MENDOCINO COUNTY!!!
This extortion has gone on long enough. People are being denied permits over this absurdly egregious True Up tax. You charge us these taxes and ALL WE HAVE IS AN EMBOSSED RECEIPT!! As of today I have been trying to contact MCD for a week. No one returns emails. No one returns messages. No one answers the phone. WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY SUCH HIGH TAXES IN RETURN FOR ZERO SERVICES!! This entire program and legal cannabis in California has been the most epic failure! We small farmers and purveyors of the craft have been the sacrificial lamb and Mendocino County appears to be reveling in our death. If you continue to place this heavy tax burden on us farmers, you will eventually drive us all out. More and more I believe that is what you want. No cannabis in Mendocino. If you do want our industry to thrive in Mendocino County, eliminate entirely the annual True up tax and ALL cultivation taxes. I strongly support MCA’s opinion in this matter.
Sincerely,
C. Lynne
it is only fair that if the state is helping to reduce the burden on small farmers by eliminating the cultivation tax and that humbolt county has forgiven completely the tax on cultivators that Mendocino county do the same. any other action would be biased and unfair to the small business owners that so willingly stepped forward to obey the counties onerous regulations which other counties do not have to suffer. why must mendo be the county that punishes cannabis growers while the rest of the states counties and the world at large is reducing the barriers for cannabis growers. PLEASE wake up BOS of MENDO and fall in line with the will of the people of mendocino county, the state of california, and the UNITED STATES
Honorable Supervisors,
Please review the attached memo regarding the Urgent need for local Cannabis Tax Reform in Mendocino County.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts, and working together to protect this vital local resource.
Sincerely,
Mendocino Cannabis Alliance,
e: info@mendocannabis.com