OLDS — A man who lives in Mountain View County but runs a business in Olds is upset about the business licence fee he’s received -- and the fact his fee wasn't waived when in-town businesses' fees were.
Craig Reid, who runs Reid’s Yard Care and Snow Removal in Olds but lives outside the community, says he had to pay his fee while in-town businesses were exempted from paying their 2021 business licence fees under a Town COVID relief initiative, even though he too operates his business in the community.
“I don’t think it’s fair. (If) you’re going do it for one group, you should do it for another,” Reid said during an interview.
As a result, Reid says he has no plans to pay his 2022 business licence. He also plans to draw up a petition for others to sign who have the same frustrations.
Reid also notes he's been hit with a $225 business licence fee from the Town of Olds. He says business owners who live in town only have to pay $125.
Reid says he doesn't like that fact, but he could live with it.
"The price of the business licence, OK, well there's nothing I could do about that. But we should have been treated the same."
Mayor Judy Dahl was asked for comment on Reid’s concern.
Essentially, she declined comment because it was the first she’d heard of his issue.
When asked if she planned to discuss the matter with Town of Olds administrative staff, Dahl said, “well, it depends if they write a letter to council. Typically, the elected officials get involved if there’s letters in writing directed to the mayor and council.”
Dahl said administrative staff “get paid very well” to take deal issues according to local policies and bylaws.
“For the elected officials to step in, we’re stepping in with no facts. So typically, we let administration deal with these issues,” she said.
The Albertan sent an email to Town of Olds officials asking for comment on this story. Town officials provided the following response, attributed to finance director Sheena Linderman:
“The Town of Olds, like other municipalities, charges different rates for those that own property within the Town of Olds and those that live outside of Olds.
“This is purely representative of where you pay property taxes. If you pay property taxes within the Town of Olds those taxes help to subsidize the administrative costs of other things such as business licences.
“Someone living in the county does not pay property taxes to the Town of Olds and as such in this case, is required to pay a higher fee. This is common practice."
In regards to 2021 business licenses, each municipality received funds from the provincial government to help municipalities with costs associated with COVID-19.
“As part of this program, municipalities are able to use these funds within their community.
“The Town of Olds chose to pass along this benefit and use a portion of the provincial funding to waive resident business licences for 2021. Mountain View County, like the Town of Olds, also had programs available for county business owners.”
