Berlin Officials To Address Business Fees

BERLIN – Town officials are preparing to update the municipality’s fee structure.

Last week, the Berlin Town Council introduced an ordinance that would give the town the ability to charge business license fees to any businesses that operate in town, not just those with physical locations in town.

“There is a public hearing on this that will be held Monday June 12,” Mayor Zack Tyndall said.

Last month, council members agreed to increase the town’s business license fee, which hadn’t been adjusted since it was established, to $150. At the same time, officials agreed to explore the possibility of implementing what is often called a trader’s license. With that, businesses operating in town, such as plumbing and HVAC companies, would have to pay a fee to do business in town whether they have a physical location in town or not. Historically, business license fees in Berlin have been charged only to businesses that have physical locations in town. Service companies and contractors, however, typically expect to pay some sort of business license or traders license fee when they do work in a new town. In Ocean City, for example, contractors are charged business license fees based on their number of employees. A contractor with six to 10 employees has to pay a license fee of $233 to work in the resort.

David Gaskill, the town’s attorney, told the council during last week’s meeting that the proposed ordinance being presented would change the definition of business.

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