Prince George, B.C.-  The  matter of business license fees for residential properties is back before Prince George City Council this evening.

You may recall Council had asked staff to come back with   options  to deal with the  fee which had  caused  significant hardship for  some in the community.

While  there was a move to have the  fees eliminated  and the money already paid to the City  refunded,  staff  will be presenting three options for Council’s consideration:

1: Incremental  business fee;

1. Single family buildings or duplexes with 2 dwelling units or less = $25 per property to a maximum of $155
2. Rental units provided by registered non-profit organizations = $5 per dwelling unit to a maximum of $155
3. Multi-family buildings with 3 or more residential units

2: This option sets the maximum fee to $155 for any residential rental building, regardless of the number of units it contains.

1. Single family buildings or duplexes with 2 dwelling units or less = $25 per building to a maximum of $155
2. Rental units provided by registered non-profit organizations = $5 per dwelling unit to a maximum of $155
3. Multi-family buildings with 3 or more residential units = $155 per property

3: Grant first two readings to City of Prince George Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 7851, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 8588, 2014, removing fees for all residential rental business licenses for buildings with less than 3 units.          

In all three options, the city would be refunding  some, if not all,  of the  fees already paid by  the property owners.