James Island council tables business‑license ordinance revision under Act 176 for more review
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Council delayed action on an ordinance adopting the state’s biennial NAICS class schedule (Act 176) and a proposed $5 base fee increase after questions about which businesses would be affected; staff will provide more examples and the item will return next month.
The Town of James Island tabled an ordinance amending the town business‑license schedule under South Carolina Act 176 and a related fee change after council members asked for more detailed, side‑by‑side examples of how the revisions would affect local businesses.
County/business licensing representative Tammy (last name in transcript Freilix) explained that Act 176 requires municipalities to adopt an updated classification schedule based on NAICS codes every two years. Staff described a proposed $5 increase in the base fee and a 20‑cent change to the rate per $1,000 designed to keep overall business-license revenue roughly neutral given reclassification shifts under the new schedule.
Council members said they needed clearer, local examples showing who would see increases or decreases and how the net $40,000 shortfall (if no adjustment were made) would materialize across business classes. One council member requested example calculations for representative local businesses (for instance, landscaping) showing current versus proposed charges.
After discussion, a motion to table the ordinance until the next regular meeting passed unanimously. Staff said they will provide spreadsheet examples and sample bills to show where businesses would gain or lose under the revised schedule and return the item for consideration at a future meeting.