City opposes bill that would limit business license fees

The city council spoke out against a state legislature bill that would limit business license fees at its April 13 meeting.

The council approved a resolution opposing House Bill 185, which limits the requirement for municipal licenses for home health entities to those with business locations or branches within the city.

The bill, which has passed the House and is going before the Senate, would not require businesses that visit patients within the city purchase a business license. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Ron Johnson and Senator Jabo Waggoner.

Finance Director Steve Boone said he opposes the bill because it arbitrarily excludes businesses from local licensing, which will negatively impact local government general fund revenues and could set a precedent for other industries to do the same.

Mountain Brook has collected $20,585 in revenues from home health care service and medical equipment suppliers thus far in 2015, and City Manager Sam Gaston said the city could lose $5,000-20,000 due to it.