Council to consider waiving business licence fees in Calgary for 2021; pair want extension to 2022

A pair of Calgary councillors are calling for more fee relief for businesses in the city.

Ward 1 Coun. Ward Sutherland and Ward 6 Coun. Jeff Davison — who both sit on the city’s business advisory committee and are seeking re-election in their wards — want council to waive licensing fees in 2021 and 2022 for all city businesses.

City administration is recommending those fees be covered by the city for 2021 only, for a total of $9 million.

“We’re looking at tools the City of Calgary has within our own wheelhouse to say: ‘Can we remove things like business licences?’” Davison told Global News. “And so that’s what we’ve done here.”

Business licensing fees run from $64 to $1,284, for issuing new business licenses and renewals.

Funds from either proposal would come from the $30 million in relief to small businesses city council unanimously approved on March 1.

The decision on how that small business relief will be rolled out is due to happen on Monday in council chambers.

On March 15, city council approved waiving licencing between 50 and 100 per cent of fees for taxi, limo and rideshare drivers. The city waived half of those fees in 2020.

On March 1, council agreed to cap non-residential property tax increases to 10 per cent. City officials said large format warehouses and multi-residential high rises were — as property classes — expecting double-digit increases.

Fee relief is the first phase of business assistance to come from the funds approved at the beginning of March. Needs-based reopening grants for businesses disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic will be the second phase.

1:53 Calgary councillors want community guidebook delayed until after election

Sutherland said city officials are still working on those details and expects to be able to make that program public in the spring.

Davison said fee relief is a rapid tool the city can use to provide help for businesses.

“We don’t anticipate that small business in particular is going to be through this any time soon,” the Ward 6 councillor said. “So we want to make sure that in phase one we can address the immediate need and then in phase two address the need to help keep these businesses open over the long term.”

With the pandemic already a year old, getting assistance to businesses rapidly is a key part of these proposals.

“The first phase helps them automatically,” Sutherland told Global News. “So a lot of renewals are already due.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The first phase helps them automatically," Sutherland told Global News. "So a lot of renewals are already due.

“We want to establish the criteria for those grants in advance. So once a decision is made, the money can be executed right away.”

–with files from Adam MacVicar, Global News