Tag Archives: City of Benicia

Benicia CA, Local Regulation, Taxes

Benicia News – What’s up with the city’s Business License Tax?

Proposed changes to the current fee structure

Click the image to view the 39-page presentation by HdL Companies.

The Benicia Bridge Newsletter, By Monica Vaughan, June 2, 2026

City officials want to revamp Benicia’s business license tax program – the fee that businesses are supposed to pay to operate in Benicia. The City Council will discuss proposed changes and increases at its meeting tonight with the goal of directing staff to write a ballot measure for voters to consider in the November election.

The current fee structure is based on gross receipts and business type, with an exemption for those who bring in less than $10,000 a year. The fee ranges between $75 to  $450.

An initial conversation… […continued on The Benicia Bridge.]

Reposted with permission, The Benicia Bridge
Excellent reporting from Benicia’s newest award-winning journalism duo, Monica Vaughan and Laura López González. – Roger Straw
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Benicia CA, Benicia road repairs, Benicia streets

Benicia News – When will your street get fixed?

Find out if your street made the cut…

The Benicia Bridge Newsletter, By Laura López González, May 18, 2026

In a few months, Benicians can expect to start seeing an uptick in long-overdue road repairs, starting around Cambridge Drive. The construction ushers in a four-year plan to fix Benicia’s failing roads, overwhelmingly funded by money raised through Measure F, a half-cent sales tax approved by Benicians in 2024.

Find out if your street made the cut
(on The Benicia Bridge)

Reposted with permission, The Benicia Bridge
Excellent reporting from Benicia’s newest award-winning journalism duo, Monica Vaughan and Laura López González. – Roger Straw
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Just transition, Signature Development Group, Valero Benicia Refinery

Benicia News – Valero contract with real estate developer shows preliminary plans

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Valero Benicia Refinery | Picture by Tye Moody taken Feb. 4, 2026.

The Benicia Bridge Newsletter, By Laura López González, May 18, 2026

Valero contracted with Oakland-based real estate development firm Signature Development Group to create plans for the 900 acres it owns, including its now-idled refinery and surrounding land. Signature submitted preliminary plans to the City of Benicia on Friday. Read Signature’s overview here.

[…excerpted from The Benicia Bridge Newsletter of May 18, 2026]

Reposted with permission, The Benicia Bridge
Excellent reporting from Benicia’s newest award-winning journalism duo, Monica Vaughan and Laura López González. – Roger Straw
Learn more and subscribe to the newsletter here.

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Air pollution, Bay Area Air District, Fenceline monitoring, Hazardous emissions, Valero Benicia Refinery

Valero fined another $3.25 million for 118 air quality violations at Benicia refinery

Air District will require Valero to expand fenceline monitoring program after “significant incidents” that polluted surrounded community, including a gasoil release in Dec. 2021

The Valero refinery, seen in this archival photo, has been idled but new fenceline monitors are slated to be installed in surrounding areas. (Adobe)

The Benicia Bridge, By Monica Vaughan, April  28, 2026

Valero Refining Company has agreed to pay an additional $3,250,000 penalty for air quality violations related to its now-idled Benicia refinery in a new settlement with the Bay Area Air District announced Tuesday.  

The settlement resolves 118 notices issued by the air pollution regulator for violations that occurred between 2019 and 2023, according to Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Air District. In addition to the penalty, Valero will be required to expand its fenceline air quality monitoring program, and provide public access to and reporting of the monitoring data.

The pollution emitted during that period includes particulate matter, butane and sulfur-related pollutants, Roselius told The Benicia Bridge.  […continued on The Benicia Bridge (including Q&A with spokesperson for the the Air District)…]

Reposted with permission, The Benicia Bridge
Excellent reporting from Benicia’s newest award-winning journalism duo, Monica Vaughan and Laura López González. – Roger Straw
Learn more and subscribe to the newsletter here.

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