County may let some avoid fee
The Madison County Board of Supervisors is trying to amend the new business license fee before people have to start paying the $30 fee by March 1, 2012.
The supervisors voted 3-2 to have a public hearing on amending the business license fee to not include street vendors at festivals and businesses that spend less than 30 consecutive days in the county, such as a subcontractor.
Supervisors Jerry Butler and Pete Elliott cast the nay votes at the Dec. 13 regular board meeting at the County Administration Center.
“the major concern is the fact that the business license includes a requirement that anyone coming into Taste of the Mountains (street festival) or to a festival at Graves (Mountain Lodge in Syria) would be required to buy a business license,” Supervisor Dave Allen said.
The public hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the board’s regular meeting on Jan. 10, 2012 at the County Administration Center in downtown Madison.
It has been argued by some citizens already, including the Madison Chamber of Commerce president, that by asking street vendors to pay a business license fee it could hurt the tourism industry in Madison County, ultimately costing the county more money than it would generate.
Some supervisors though, do not want it amended because they passed it originally to balance the budget and are afraid the budget would fall short if they made this exemption.
“when we looked at implementing this fee, this license, we set aside a certain amount of money in the budget based on collecting the fee. Now if we start to make all these exemptions what’s that going to do to the fee that we made or set aside for our budget?” asked Elliott.
Butler would like the business license fee coordinated with the peddler ordinance and asked County Attorney V.R. “Shack” Shackelford III to look into it.
During the Nov. 17 workshop, the supervisors, as well as the two supervisors-elect, talked about the business license fee at length.
During that meeting, Allen said it would be a “significant impact” on vendors who want to come to street festivals.
Supervisor Eddie Dean said, “I am not sure that the people that are visited the most regularly and have the best products (at the street festivals) that $30 is much of a factor,”
He added, “if it’s a factor than you probably shouldn’t have committed. if $30 was a factor than your time wasn’t worth much.”
Shackelford said, “I do think this ordinance is fairly complicated. I know quite frankly (then-administrator) Lisa (Robertson) drafted it in the budget rush earlier this year and I suspect none of us looked at it as closely as we are looking at it now.”
He added, “if we are going to amend it, I am a big advocate of simplifying it.”
Leaders estimated that there are around 700 businesses in the county and about 100 vendors at Taste of the Mountains.
If they do not collect the expected $20,000 from this license fee, they would take it out of the fund balance said Finance Director Teresa Miller.
Chairman James Arrington said, “Let me just point out though, if I remember correctly there was two reasons why we wanted to go through with this. one was the obvious revenue streams. Secondly, we thought it was imperative that we got a handle on who was doing business in Madison.”
Supervisor Eddie Dean said that was the part that concerned him too and that is why he voted for the business license fee in the first place.
“we need the database of businesses,” Dean said. He suggested the transient occupancy tax could offset the revenue and just have people apply for the permit without the fee. He said the database of businesses would tell them if the county is getting the accurate amount in sales tax.
Supervisor-elect Doris Lackey also spoke at the workshop about the business license fee.
“You could make it advantageous to have a license in Madison County. the chamber could publish a list of licensed vendors and licensed practitioners, which would be good advertising for them,” Lackey said.
Madison Chamber of Commerce Director Tracey Gardner also attended the workshop.
“we are a chamber of commerce, so people pay dues to be a member of the chamber of commerce. Now, I feel like all these people will say, ‘oh we have to pay double dues,’” Gardner said. “And my only thing for the Taste of the Mountains is because I speak to these people on a year long basis is $30 can make or break them.”
She said, “People come here (to the Taste of the Mountains) because they think we are the biggest and the best.”
In other matters at the Dec. 13 regular meeting, supervisors:
*Unanimously approved updating the county’s Web site by spending $1,800. the supervisors approved spending approximately $1,500 to set up the new Web site, plus 10 hours of Webmaster services at $30 an hour. Supervisor Jerry Butler wondered if there would be any volunteers in the county to help out with this project. “there is a lot of talent here in the county and I think if we express that we are looking for someone to maintain the county Web site,” Butler said. Supervisor Eddie Dean said he didn’t think you could find a better deal than the $1,500 set up fee. They apparently did not the name of the individual they are hoping to use, possibly because he or she hasn’t accepted the proposal yet.
*Discussed replacing two or more faulty locks at the Madison County Circuit Court in downtown Madison. the electric locks – installed as part of the multi-million dollar courthouse revamp — are closing when there is a power surge. It would reportedly cost $1,959 each to replace each lock individually. the supervisors decided to ask County Attorney V.R. “Shack” Shackelford III to look into the warranty. Supervisor Pete Elliott wanted to know how this affects the working of the courthouse and if a deputy was needed. E-911 Coordinator Robert “Radar” Finks said it was an “intermittent” problem and there is one jail holding cell they can’t use. They can still use it with a key, but not with a electronic key card. He didn’t see any repair kit for the locks and thought they needed to be replaced. the locks are manufactured by Sargent. Finks did not want to say where the locks are exactly located for security reasons.
*Unanimously approved having an organizational meeting at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 3, 2012 at the County Administration Center. Traditionally, supervisors elect their new chairman and vice chairman at this meeting, and make committee assignments.
*Unanimously approved reappointing Kenneth McGhee and Charles Slaughter and appointing Bill Tidball for a three year term at the Rapidan-Rappahanock Community Services Board.
