REQUEST FOR DIRECTION
DATE: May 7th, 2018 Report No. CSS-18-007
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director, Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Business Licence Options
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ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
Does Council wish to direct staff to make changes by bylaw to the business licensing process to allow for a new licensing option where business owners can opt into purchasing a Vancouver Island wide business licence?
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Committee of the Whole direct staff to prepare a bylaw for Council's consideration to allow for a new business licensing option where business owners can opt into purchasing a Vancouver Island wide business licence.
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BACKGROUND:
On February 8, 2018 representatives from the Central Island Inter Community Business Licence (ICBL) and Greater Victoria Inter-municipal Business Licence groups as well as the Cowichan Valley Regional District met in Duncan to discuss expanding partnerships throughout Vancouver Island. Invitations were also extended to northern (Alert Bay, Port Alice, Port Hardy and Port McNeil) and western Vancouver Island (Tofino and Ucluelet) communities that are considering intercommunity business licence partnerships.
Business licence analysis carried out by the Province of British Columbia (Province) indicates that expanded ICBL partnerships will support a significant number of mobile businesses throughout Vancouver Island by reducing unnecessary administrative burden, fostering positive intercommunity partnerships, increasing compliance, and displaying business friendliness, all without substantial impact to municipal revenues.
In 2017, the Province requested business licensing information and received data from a little over half of participating Central Island and Greater Victoria ICBL communities. The data shows that approximately 10% of non-resident businesses purchased licences in both Central Island and Greater Victoria communities.
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