HUMBOLDT — The city is looking at implementing a business license program that would see around 200 business pay an extra $100.
A discussion about the program is to take place in February, with council approval or denial given afterward. The city’s 2019 budget, as passed, assumes there will be an extra $20,000 generated from the program.
“Right now, we don’t know which businesses are in Humboldt because there’s no licensing,” Muench said. “We’re looking at having a small fee that we can use to prepare things like a directory that we can offer to the public if they’re looking for a plumber or electrician in town.”
That means the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce cannot answer a question that can be answered in nearby communities like Melfort, Tisdale and Nipawin.
“I often get calls from people asking, ‘how many businesses are there in Humboldt,’ and I say, ‘I don’t know,’” said Brent Fitzpatrick, the chamber’s executive director. “I can give you a good guess, but I actually don’t know the number of businesses.”
The $100 is meant to be used to maintain a list of businesses that can be used by city and the chamber to promote economic development.
“I understand it adds $100 to what are already tight budgets for a lot of the small businesses in town, but it really will be a benefit in the long run in that it allows the city and the chamber to know who is operating what businesses within its borders,” Fitzpatrick said.
The February discussion about the program will also examine the current rules around home-based business, which already have to pay for a business license.
