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,1, <br />I. - Staff Report, September 12, lvvo Page 2 <br />class. These businesses sell the types of weapons most generally used in violent acts, crime and when safety issues <br />arise. <br />San Francisco recently enacted an ordinance assessing a fee in the amount of 3% on gross receipts from the sale <br />of all goods for retailers or wholesalers of firearms. Obviously, a similar ordinance in San Leandro effects all of <br />the licensed dealers. A more targeted plan focuses on the public sale of concealable hand guns only. An <br />exemption for businesses activity in hunting rifles and shotguns, government sales and wholesale contracts, and <br />service reduces the impact to only several firms. <br />Local Licensed Firearm Dealers <br />All licensed firearm dealers in San Leandro were interviewed prior to the preparation of this report (see attached <br />Est). The business impacts on these firms by the actions approved to date by the City Council were generally <br />insignificant. All apparently can comply with the new regulations. Employee certifications in one of the large <br />stores may create a conflict with the store policy for assignment rotations. The most vocal dissent related to <br />claims of misguided penalties being applied to select, legal enterprises. <br />A majority of the firms expressed a view that one business category should not be exclusively targeted for the <br />cost of violence curbing programs. The impact of a gross receipts tax on the sale of firearms will vary <br />significantly between the City's current dealers. One dealer in particular, Trader's Sports, would bear a majority <br />of the business impact of a firearm -related tax. The sales volumes for all of the other local dealers remain a <br />fraction of Trader's Sports sales. <br />The estimated total annual sales of firearms in the City for all dealers is $6.5 million. A large portion of Trader's <br />Sports sales of firearms is to government law enforcement agencies and to other gun dealers. The margin of <br />gross profit on these sales is extremely low (i.e, less than 2%). A tax of up to 3% on these sales would place this <br />business at a competitive disadvantage when Trader's Sports is responding to bid requests. <br />There are several options concerning the imposition of a gross receipts tax on firearms that require further staff <br />analysis and direction from the City Council. In order to develop of a gross receipts tax that is fair to existing <br />businesses and will achieve the gun control objectives of other cities in the East Bay Public Safety Corridor <br />Partnership, staff has identified several alternative methods of applying the firearms tax. These options include: <br />a). A tax on all firearms sold by all dealers. Under this method of designating firearm sales subject to the tax, <br />total estimated gross sales would be approximately $6.5 million and a 3% tax would generate $195,000. <br />b). A tax on all firearms, excluding sales to government agencies and other dealers. Under this method of <br />designating sales subject to the tax, total estimated gross sales would be approximately $3.8 million and a 3% tax <br />would generate $115,000. <br />c). A tax on over-the-counter sales of concealable handguns only. This definition of firearms subject to the tax <br />would exclude rifles, shotguns, competitive bids to government agencies and other dealers. Concealable <br />handguns are the most common weapons related to violence and safety concerns. Handgun control creates the <br />most wide-ranging support in the community. Under this method of designating sales subject to the tax, total <br />estimated gross sales would be approximately $2 million and a 3% tax would generate $60,000. <br />i02 2 <br />