Storey County moves to overhaul business license fees: fortune-telling fee cut, cannabis gross-revenue levy removed, broader code rewrite directed
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Summary
Staff will rewrite Chapter 5 business-license code to simplify definitions, remove some per-employee/square-foot fees for small businesses, and pursue specific changes including reducing the fortune-telling license fee from $700 to $25, and eliminating a 3% cannabis gross-revenue fee; commissioners directed staff to proceed with drafting and required public business-impact review.
Storey County commissioners directed staff Aug. 19 to proceed with a broad rewrite of Chapter 5 (business licenses) to simplify requirements and reduce fees for small businesses. Laura Mather described several proposed changes: clarifying definitions to align with zoning rules, adding a temporary seller's permit for vendors, eliminating per-employee and small-square-foot fees for many small businesses, and reducing duplication in the chapter.
The board approved several specific directions: staff recommended reducing the annual fortune-telling/palmistry license from $700 to $25 (to match other general business categories) and the board directed staff to proceed with drafting the code bill and business-impact statement for public review. Staff also recommended reducing the cannabis-related license structure that applies a percentage of gross revenue (allowed under NRS) down to 0% and the board directed staff to proceed with that change so cannabis establishments would pay only fixed annual license and investigation fees rather than a gross-revenue percentage.
Commissioners discussed implications including how to retain required business statistics if per-employee and square-foot fees are removed; staff said they will add reporting requirements and a data-capture method that does not impose fees. The board also directed staff to continue review and to return with formal draft ordinances and the required business impact statements for public hearings and two readings.
Why it matters: The changes aim to reduce costs for small businesses, harmonize licensing categories, and remove what staff described as inconsistent, revenue-based taxation for cannabis businesses. Several motions passed to begin the formal drafting and business-impact process; statutory changes will be pursued through code bills and resolutions as appropriate.
What’s next: Staff will prepare draft code bills, business impact statements and redlines for each affected section (Ch. 5.04, 5.12, 8.28, 5.16 for brothels where applicable), return to the board for readings, and conduct public outreach as required by statute.