Page 2: Back away from the cookie jar
I received my business license renewal notice in the mail this week.
Did the calculation, filled in the form. And then noticed there was a “payment due section” next to the calculation part.
Within the payment due section, there was a $13 “business tax renewal fee” and a $1 “state mandated disability access fee.”
Never noticed either of these charges before on any business license renewal form I’ve ever filled out.
So what gives? I called the Town. I got this wonderful gal on the phone – Jenny Im. She clearly hasn’t been working there long – so forthcoming and pleasant.
Who approved these new taxes? I asked.
“This is a fee, not a tax,” corrected Jenny brightly. Truly, a sunny personality. I’d say they’re not paying her enough but … “The money goes to relieve the regulatory burden of maintaining and processing business tax certificates,” she explained.
Oh boy. She is good. This is someone you want around when your child asks for you to explain how the Tooth Fairy works. Who knew that cashing a check and filing a form could be so burdensome?
“But who approved this?” I asked.
“Town Council,” Jenny said.
Sure enough, there was an item on Council’s December 3rd agenda entitled “Resolution Amending the Town Fee Schedule for certain Finance Department and Building Division Fees.”
Yep. They passed it in broad daylight.
And this is how it was done – with a nice piece of misdirection by Town Manager Dan Holler.
The agenda bill leads off with this innocuous little gem. “The Finance Department has recommended an ordinance to amend the Town’s Business License to have the code be internally consistent. This change will require businesses earning less than $5,000 to receive a business certificate and pay the processing fees.”
But after this introduction, he then circles around to saying the fees may be burdensome to such small businesses. So he wants to require these small businesses to get a certificate, but then waive the fee.
No mention whatsoever of tacking on a business renewal fee for any business making over $5,000.
Then, in his report to Council justifying approval of the fee resolution, he writes, “The fee modifications are in line with the Town’s policies to have reasonable fees and to support small businesses.”
Small businesses making less than $5,000, that is. For businesses making more than that, Holler fails to notify Council that it is about to implement a tax hike.
Buried on page eight of the staff report is Attachment A, which then outlines the fee schedule. 21 different fees. There’s a Transient Occupancy Tax Registration fee ($23), returned check charges ($17) and fee ($59) – shit, the bank only charges $33 – new Business Application Processing ($65) and Records Research Service ($75/hour).
I’m not sure if the above fees, like the business license renewal fee, have been charged in the past and at what level, but a comprehensive staff report should have included that information. A comprehensive staff report would have also informed Council of the full implications of passing this resolution. This whole thing was utterly disingenuous and the blame should fall squarely on Mr. Holler.
Back to Jenny Im. “The renewal fee on Business Tax Certificates has been authorized by Town Council and has been in effect for several years, although not implemented each year [ha – first time I’ve seen it, and I’ve had a business license for 11 years] … The $13 renewal fee for 2015 was deemed a reasonable approximation of the costs incurred by the Town for materials and staff hours.”
This brought to you by the same organization that charges $85,000 a year to administer the TBID. Seriously. They tax you, and then they tax you again by charging you the staff hours required to collect the money.
It would be great if I could collect a surcharge every time I did my job.
Let’s hope Council re-agendizes this item so there can be actual public debate about the merits of imposing this tax hike.
And from Evans desk…
At the regular meeting on Tuesday, December 9, Mono County Supervisor Fred Stump raised questions about the effect of the countywide hard hiring freeze policy on the Road Department, given their responsibility for snow removal throughout the County.
“Philosophically I agree [with the hiring freeze]” he said. “My concern is, however, if if we do get into a real winter, we have created a requirement that is going to delay the ability to get staff, not just hired but trained and ready for the critical mission of snow removal.”
In April, the Board enacted a hard hiring freeze whereby each County department has to make a formal request for variance before the Board, justifying the need for both new and vacated job positions within their departments. Prior to that, only new positions were required to come before the Board for approval.
Based on his previous experience as a snowplow driver, Stump proposed extending a waiver allowing the Road Department to fill any budgeted positions relating to snow removal and road operations without the Board’s approval until the end of March.
The other four Supervisors disagreed. “The current process has been working for us. It’s appropriate that we follow through with it,” Supervisor Byng Hunt said.
Although Supervisor Stump conceded to keeping the hard hiring freeze, he warned the Board that in order for the Road Department to train and orient new snowplow drivers to specific routes while being short staffed, other responsibilities of the department might fall through the cracks. “Whatever they need to do, they need to know this Board won’t come back at them,” he said.
Director of Road and Fleet Services, Jeff Walters, told the Board, “I appreciate Supervisor Stump’s comments and I agree with them.” He also expressed concerns about keeping the miles per operator at comfortable levels, especially when the majority of the current drivers are from North County.
Supervisor Chair Larry Johnston told Supervisor Stump and Walters: “I want to stay at the policy level. Get the snow removed on the priorities we set. You guys figure that out; I don’t want to micromanage how you do that.”
The hard hiring freeze remains in effect across all departments indefinitely.
From Vane’s desk:
The Sheet received several reports from individuals this week that last week’s Mammoth Lakes Police Department press release regarding the bear shooting on Lupin Street wasn’t entirely accurate. Chief Dan Watson confirmed that the MLPD is continuing an investigation into the incedent, which led to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issuing a depredation permit after a Lupin resident shot a bear in its hindquarters.
