Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 10:38 a.m.
Spokane City Council passed unanimously to delay an increase in City business registration fees and providing for a reduction in the fee amount for startup businesses. During this unprecedented period of economic turbulence, the council looks to accommodate small business owners rather than raise costs as well as give a head start to new businesses to emerge.
“As the Mayor’s proposal came forward to raise various business registration fees, it just didn’t seem like the right time,” says Councilmember Candace Mumm. “What seemed more appropriate, coming out of the pandemic, was to encourage the creation of new businesses to register in our city. Therefore, I proposed instead of raising fees next year, to reduce the new business owner’s first-time registration by 50%.”
The ordinance will also defer an increase in the regular business registration fees from $120 to $127 (rounded up from $126.84) until the end of the year. New businesses will now pay $60 for the registration fee from February 1, 2022, until the end of 2022.
