Most businesses in Westlock will soon be required to help fund economic development with annual $100 business licences beginning next year. Town council passed two business-licensing bylaws at its Dec. 8 meeting; one will update the current bylaw to mandate more businesses get licensed, and another establishes an appeals process. Under the previous bylaw, businesses located on commercially zoned properties were not required to get licences — only businesses operating out of residential zones and out-of-town businesses needed licensing. Mayor Ralph Leriger explained the new bylaw will require most businesses in town to get an annual licence, and the money will be earmarked for economic development. “The intention is to use that for advertising — it’s pretty cheap advertising when you think about it — for use in our business directory as well as funding some of the things that have budgetary implications that come from our economic development strategy,” he said. A draft of the proposed business licence bylaw was presented to council at the Nov. 17 Committee of the Whole meeting, at which point councillors raised several concerns about the licensing process, including the process for appealing decisions. See more in this weeks print or e-editions or at westlocknews
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:50:25 +0000