BATH - A recently passed ordinance to require licenses of businesses operating in
Burnettown brought about 15 local merchants and a few others together in
opposition at a meeting in Bath Tuesday night.

After a brief explanation by organizer Mel Minitor, owner of Phoenix Computer
Repair, regarding the details surrounding the passage of the ordinance and the
fees to be imposed, comments quickly expanded to other topics including traffic
stops by Burnettown police, unrecorded payments for water service, and confusion
over town boundaries.

The new ordinance, to go into effect on July 1, is actually a refinement of a
power given the Town government upon incorporation in 1941. It is modeled on the
licensing structure used by the City of Aiken, according to Burnettown Mayor Wayne
Benson.

Business types are assigned rate classes, with each class assigned a base charge
between $30 and $60, plus a fee between 85 cents and $1.75 for every $1,000 in
annual gross income above $2,000.

A class 1 business, which Minitor said includes restaurants, making $70,000 a year
would be charged $87.80 for a business license. A day care center - class 6,
according to Minitor - grossing $80,000 annually would pay $181.40 to be licensed
in Burnettown.

The business licenses will expire after a year, and must be renewed to continue
operation.

Several merchants complained about being required to pay fees similar to Aiken
without receiving big city benefits like full-time police protection and curbside
garbage collection.

Benson said without a property tax millage, the Town is turning to the business
license fees to fund such needs. Currently Burnettown's budget is funded by
utility franchise fees.

"The funds the business licenses will generate will go into the Town's general
fund to provide more services - police 24/7, parks and recreation facilities, and
matching funds required for many grants - which are essential services," Benson
said.

The merchants at the meeting all said the ordinance was passed without any of them
being aware of it.

Town records show the first reading of the ordinance passed 4-1 on Nov. 22. Benson
and Council members Wayne New, Robert Workman and James McIntosh voted for the
measure. Council member Kenneth Ferguson voted against.

A legal notice of a public hearing on the issue scheduled for Dec. 13 was
published in the Aiken Standard on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7. According to Benson, the
5:30 p.m. hearing produced no public comments on the issue.

"Nobody showed up for the public meeting," Benson said.

The ordinance was then passed at the Council meeting that followed at 6 p.m. on a
3-1 vote along the same lines, with Mayor Benson absent.

Contact J.C. Lexow at jlexow@aikenstandard.com