The Springfield City Council’s Plans and Policies Committee met on June 23 to discuss possible changes to the ordinance requiring proof of payment of personal property taxes for business licenses. The ordinance, which was passed a year ago, has had a significant impact, with the number of active business accounts on file with the Assessor’s Office more than doubling in a matter of months.

Geographic Limitation

The committee is considering limiting the geographic area to which the ordinance applies, specifically to Greene County businesses. Currently, the ordinance applies to all businesses looking to apply for or maintain a business license in Springfield, regardless of where they are based.

City staff have found it burdensome to follow up with businesses based out-of-state and doing business in Springfield, as not all states have personal property taxes. The proposed changes aim to address this issue by only requiring proof of payment of personal property taxes due in Greene County.

Concerns and Justifications

Councilmember Craig Hosmer argued that limiting the applicability to Greene County would put Greene County businesses at an economic disadvantage. He believes that businesses from other counties should be subject to the same requirements as those in Greene County.

On the other hand, Councilmember Abe McGull suggested that requiring proof of payment of personal property taxes from businesses in other counties is outside of the city’s jurisdiction. He believes that the only justification for requiring proof of payment is to support public services in Greene County.

Original reporting: Springfield Daily Citizen — read the source article.