Amherstburg business owner irked at new fee
Longtime restaurateur says inspections already handled by county health unit
The Town of Amherstburg's plan to charge businesses for inspections has irked some owners who say they weren't informed about the change.
Speck's Restaurant owner Sarah Brush questions why town inspections are required since the Windsor-essex County Health Unit already inspects her restaurant. She said her new fees will be $350.
“We're not a big city like Windsor. We're a small town with local small businesses and our taxes already went up more than anybody else,” said Brush, whose family has run the restaurant for 53 years.
She plans to appear at council's Monday meeting to protest the new fees, which were approved in a bylaw passed Dec. 11. In January, the town approved a residential tax increase of just over 6.4 per cent.
Brush says business owners were not informed about the new fee. “I got the letter Feb. 15 and it was due on the 28th of February,” she told the Windsor Star. “Everybody is clearly upset over this.”
A report prepared for council by licensing and enforcement manager Bill Tetler on Nov. 23 stated the “main goal of a municipal business licence is to protect the health and safety of the public who use consumer services or products.
“While some classes require annual submission of certain documentation, such as restaurants for health inspections, the associated fee for inspection or review of the business is not required,” the report said.
“This creates a financial burden on the town for increased annual inspections and business file reviews, while not recouping the cost of inspection and enforcement.”
Comparisons with the County of Essex as well as other municipalities with similar populations found it was “common practice in those municipalities that have a business licensing bylaw, in which annual renewals and inspections are required, along with annual fees,” the report says.
“Having annual inspections for business licensing is important to ensure continued health and safety of the public and continued compliance with the by-law. The costs of these inspections should be recouped directly from the business owner.
“Administration believes the fees strike a balance between increasing revenue and limiting the financial impact on business licence holders.”
Tetler told the Star that licence renewals come due at different times throughout the year, and attempts were made to contact each business. The initial information about the proposed bylaw was available on a public agenda and heavily publicized on social media after it was approved, he said.
While the initial fee for a restaurant is $350, renewal fees are $300, he said.
This year is an “education process, working with the businesses, getting them in, setting them up and then moving forward,” so there is some leeway in the deadlines, he said.
Business owners with questions can contact the licensing officer to discuss options.
In her application to appear as a delegate, Brush says she wants the town to revisit its decision. “I would like to understand this thought process of recouping expenses as inspections are already being done by the WECHU at no cost to the taxpayers of the town of Amherstburg,” she wrote. “I am asking that you please revisit (the) municipal business licensing decision.”