To call the Hailey business license anything other than a tax would be a stretch, to say the least. At best the city is making work for itself and charging the business community for the privilege to do so. I see no real reason to inspect businesses for safety as stated in the "Our Town" newsletter, because anyone in business can police themselves or risk getting sued by customers or suffer claims from injured employees.
As far as neighborhood hazards go, we live in a zoned city, so if someone is doing something where they shouldn't be, all a resident should have to do is call to complain and the city should come and check it out and take any action necessary. Anyone who owns a business should not want to waste time, effort and money setting up their business in an area that doesn't allow it only to have to shut down and relocate.
Another disguised tax that is irritating business owners is the sign ordinance. A sign is an ordinary and necessary part of doing business and for the city of Hailey to be taxing them is truly shameful. I can see restricting neon or internally lit signs because of light pollution, or regulating sandwich boards in the public right of way, but to be charging a fee (tax) on signs on private property seems to be a violation of private property rights as well as an infringement on constitutional rights to free expression.
That is the way I see it and, apparently at the time of writing this, so do 100 of my fellow Hailey residents who have signed my petitions thus far. It is hard enough running a business. We do not need these stumbling blocks in the way of free enterprise.
Robert E. Wiederrick
Hailey
