07 Mar Grass Roots Slow Down Special Interest Influence

Thanks to the many who joined the Towns of Port Royal, Bluffton and Hilton Head and the City of Beaufort among almost every other municipality in the state in a large outcry of opposition to the proposal Business License “Reform”, both of the business license bills were recommitted to committee.
Rep. Bill Sandifer (R – Seneca) and 13 other sponsors introduced two bills, H3650 and H3651, on February 2 that drastically cut city revenues and create tax inequities for small businesses due to special tax exemptions. On Wednesday, Rep. Sandifer requested that these two bills be recommitted back to the committee for further work and discussion. Municipal Association staff continues to work with business interests and legislative staff to return the bills to the initial intent of standardizing the business license process.

The City of Beaufort recognized the need to use a standard application form statewide, to adopt standard business classifications and to make the process more easily available through on line filing.  Accordingly, we have already adopted all three proposals.  Our concern is not standardization. Rather it is about the state creating a mechanism to take over collections of business licenses when many cities and the Municipal Association of SC (whose board is composed of public officials held accountable for our actions) have systems in place to fix the problems we agree exist.

FOR DETAILS OF PROPOSED MEASURES

Summary–Business Licensing Bills