It’s going to cost more to do business in Lumby.
Council gave three readings to a bylaw Tuesday that will hike business license fees.
“There hasn’t been an increase in 20 years,” said Coun. Julie Pilon.
Under the proposed plan, fees in most categories will climb, including cardlock properties from $130 to $200, catering from $50 to $75, sawmills and concrete plants from $100 to $150 and professional services from $50 to $100.
All categories of restaurants will see licenses increase by $25 while most categories of retail space will also rise $25, except for retail more than 5,000-square-feet, which will go up by $70 to $200.
Coun. Randal Ostafichuk says administrative duties related to licenses should be paid for by businesses and not subsidized by village taxpayers.
“Administration costs have increased in 20 years,” he said, adding that the increases are reasonable.
“When I had a business in Vernon 15 years ago, the business license then was higher than it is in Lumby now.”
Pilon doesn’t expect many complaints.
“The chamber of commerce has looked at it and they brought it to our attention,” she said of out-of-date fees.
Once these new fees are adopted, it’s expected it will pump an additional $6,600 a year into village coffers. And that could jump by a further $1,500 if a medical marijuana production facility opens.
“These new funds can be used to fully cover the funding to the chamber, with any remainder allocated to cover the village’s administrative expenses related to the business license process,” said Jeremy Sundin, the village’s director of finance, in a report to council.
