WEIRTON — The Weirton City Council is considering the possibility of updating the city's business license fees and license fees assessed as part of a planned review of development projects in the city.
Councilors met for a work session Thursday to have preliminary discussions on the proposal.
“Some of these things haven't been investigated or considered or anything since 1969,” said 4th Ward Councilman George Ashe.
Michael Magshak, who oversees the city's business license program, provided the council with information about the city's current business license fee structure, as well as options from other cities and recommendations for some changes.
“There are a lot of different options,” he said, with one possibility being an all-inclusive rate for most businesses and a separate rate for businesses regulated by the state. suggested that.
He also pointed to outdated business and license fees that can be restrictive, particularly the 1 and 5 cent vending machine license fees and the $750 fortune teller license fee.
Magshak also explained that the proposed changes would require review by City Attorney Vince Grella.
City Manager Mike Adams said there is a cap on these license fees under state law 11-12-4, which says they cannot exceed state fees. Mr. Grella said the target would be state fees as of July 1, 1970, noting that some city fees may already be at the highest level.
“We just need to know what that interest rate was,” Grela said.
District 7 City Councilor Terry Weigel said while he agrees that the fee structure needs to be simplified and updated, he is concerned about the potential loss of revenue as a result of the changes.
“Are you going to make more money or lose more money?” Weigel asked.
Mr Magshak said it could all be decided as part of the review, and Mr Asch recommended preparing the bill for the June parliamentary session. Even if something were passed, it would not take effect until January 2025.
Possible changes to fees for plan reviews were also discussed. Currently, fees are based on the cost of the project and are built into permit fees.
One possible option, as discussed, is to evaluate fees based on the square footage of the structure.
Additional discussions may occur in the future.