Merchants express concern over way privilege licenses are assessed

By Lynn Hotaling

Jay Ball, owner of the Jewelry Outlet on Main Street, and Hugh Thompson of Cope's Superette on Mill Street told Sylva board members June 7 that this year's increases in privilege licenses are too steep.

Ball said he had no objection to the town raising the license fee from $25 to $35, a $10 increase over last year, but that he does object to the fact that he's now being charged for two businesses.

Because of the change in the way the fees are assessed, he said, his bill for this year is $70 as compared to $25.

"Sticking it to the business people is not fair," Ball said. "They're saying I have two businesses ­ that's unfair. They're saying that because I sell jewelry and I fix jewelry I have two businesses. "They arbitrarily came up with this. My fee was $25 per year for 10 years and now it's $70. Tell me how you justify that," Ball said.

"Ours went up 278 percent," said Thompson. "That's not an adjustment ­ that's a fleecing." Town tax collector Lynn Allen said last week that she has scheduled a meeting with Ball and Thompson. At that time she will document their complaints and resolution. However, unless the fees were billed illegally or billed in error, there will be no way to release the fees, Allen said.

If the fees assessed are in accordance with the town's ordinance, then the only way to provide relief would be to amend the ordinance, Allen said.

State statutes say that sometimes a single business establishment may have to purchase multiple licenses ­ one for each business at a particular location, Allen said.

According to the ordinance Sylva board members approved in March, a separate privilege license tax must be paid for each taxable business conducted at any one location.

Sylva recently changed its ordinance that governs assessment and collection of such fees. No comment was received from the public during the March 15 public hearing on the revised ordinance, and the new ordinance was adopted by a unanimous vote of the five-member Sylva Town Board.

The local ordinance is based on state guidelines, which regulate the amount municipalities can charge. Certain businesses, such as banks and professional offices are exempted from fees by state statutes, said Allen.

In other business June 7:

- Former Sylva Fire Chief Bobby Beck was named to the board of the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority. Beck will replace Alvin Stiles, who resigned in May after serving eight years on the TWSA board.

- Mayor Brenda Oliver asked Sylva Police Chief Jeff Jamison to look into the parking situation in front of Cope's on Mill Street. Some form of angled parking was suggested to alleviate the current double-parking situation.

- Mayor Oliver asked the street committee to evaluate a suggestion that one-way Schulman Street be narrowed to one lane to accommodate on-street parking in what is now the road's right-hand lane. More parking could be needed if handicap spaces are added on Jackson Street to provide handicap access to Metrostat Technologies' annex on Schulman Street. Oliver also referred a request from Sylva United Methodist Church to close Church Street to the street committee for a recommendation.

The street committee has scheduled a meeting today (Thursday) at 1 p.m.

- Town board members approved the following as officers for the Sylva Fire Department: Mike Beck, chief; Alan Farmer, first assistant chief; James Rogers, second assistant chief; Harold Norman, captain; Brian Wellmon, captain; Dale Nations, safety officer; Terry Griffin, secretary; Joel Guffey, purchasing officer; and the Rev. Mike Farmer, chaplain.

The Sylva board will next meet Monday, June 25, at the conclusion of a 7 p.m. public hearing to take comment on the town's budget for fiscal year 2001-02. Action on the budget is expected at that time.

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