St. Catharines waives most licence fees
City won’t collect about $92,000 in 2021 from restaurants and others
St. Catharines is waiving almost all of the 2021 business licence fees it collects in an effort to ease pandemic pressures on operators.
The move will apply to restaurants, refreshment stands, public halls, theatres, amusement arcades, auctioneers and businesses classified as hawkers and peddlers, such as food trucks.
The financial impact to the city will be about $92,000.
“There are very few levers that our council has to pull to try and help our community with respect to the costs that have been borne because of COVID-19, and also the lost revenue that our businesses have experienced,” said St. Patrick’s Coun. Mat Siscoe, adding almost all of those levers exist at the provincial and federal levels because they have the ability to incur debt and to borrow money.
“This is one area where I think we can help. It’s a small piece — I’m not going to pretend this is a large gesture, but it’s still something we can do to try and lessen the burden.”
Siscoe, the budget standing committee chair, asked for a staff report in January on the possibility of waiving the fees and the financial impact. It was brought to city council instead of to the committee level Monday night for expediency.
Business licences are valid for one year and range in price depending on the type of business, from $53.75 for an auctioneer to $150.50 for a restaurant with three or more tables. Food truck licences cost from $215 to $661.15, depending on whether the operator lives in or outside of the city.
Fees are being waived for businesses deemed to be most significantly impacted by COVID-19 and the lockdown.
About $5,000 in licence fees will still be collected for kennels, master plumbers, plumbing contractors, bill posters and second level lodging homes.
Council previously waived sidewalk and pop-up patio fees for 2021 and parking fees on street and in city lots until the end of April to give the food and hospitality industry a boost.