Business Licenses and Permits

Business license fee processes are being debated in the city of Chester, West Virginia, following calls for greater transparency.

City officials are currently collecting a $45 annual fee from residents and business owners, but a board to oversee the collection and use of the fees does not exist, causing concern among local residents that ordinances are not being fully enforced.

Local business owner Mary Lawrence told the local newspaper the Review that people have no problems paying their business license fees, but if the council are collecting them they should appoint people to the municipal fee board to oversee the process.

According to Chester ordinance, a municipal fee board to supervise the collection of business license fees is supposed to be set up by the city, to which four city residents are appointed by the council.

The absence of a council to regulate license fee collection harms the relationship between the city and its residents, as there is nobody to hold the council to account.

Residents are calling for the appointment of people to the municipal council in an attempt to improve the transparency of business fee transactions.

Tags: business license, business licenses, fees, West Virginia