Kenbridge revises business license fee after business owner feedback

By Brian Nowlin, Staff Writer

KENBRIDGE – After recently approving a $30 business license fee in Kenbridge, town council members reversed that decision and changed the wording last week so that the $30 amount will be a minimum charge instead of an additional charge for businesses.

Mayor Emory Hodges said that he had gotten complaints from area businesses about this additional fee to their yearly business license. He stated, “Adding an additional $30 fee was not our original intention, I don’t think.”

He went to say that the idea behind the change from his perspective was to have a minimum fee. Gross receipts are used in finalizing the numbers for a business license with the town and the idea was that if someone was doing minor work or jobs and would only owe something less than $30 then they would still pay that amount. However, if a business already owed more than the $30 amount, they would just pay that amount.

Council Member Danny Thompson echoed those sentiments and said that he had made notes consistent with what Mayor Hodges said and indicated that the idea was to just set this minimum amount and not charge an additional fee to ones already paying over that.

The group then agreed to change the wording and amend the ordinance to reflect that there is a minimum amount that must be paid by all businesses.

Mayor Hodges stated, “I know we messed this up, but we are trying to make it right now.”