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Miles City finance committee weighs tiered fees, vendor rules and incentives in business license overhaul
Summary
The Miles City Finance Committee on March 18, 2026, reviewed proposed revisions to business license ordinances including whether to use tiered fees based on employees or revenue, vendor definitions, insurance requirements, out-of-town business fees, and incentives; Attorney Dan Rice will draft revised ordinance language for future review.
The Miles City Finance Committee spent the bulk of its March 18, 2026 meeting reviewing proposed changes to the city's business license ordinances, focusing on fee structure, vendor rules, exemptions, and potential incentives for local businesses.
Committee members and staff debated whether a tiered licensing fee or a flat fee better serves city needs, with discussion of whether tiers should be based on employee counts or annual revenue. Vendors prompted extended debate: members asked whether businesses that pay rental fees for use of city property (for example, Vintage and Rustics or the Farmer's Market) should also require a separate city vendor license, and whether that could create duplicate charges; the committee noted existing code (6-294) already differentiates licenses by business type.
Attorney Dan Rice advised against inserting an insurance requirement into the municipal ordinance, saying the state already regulates insurance and that property owners must perform due diligence before hiring contractors. The committee also discussed how to address landlords, rental management and daycares operating in private homes; Rice recommended the ordinance focus on storefront businesses rather than home-based operations. City Clerk/Recorder Mary Rowe said the city can bill businesses outside city limits for beverage license fees "as MCA states," and Rice said he would research the legality of charging higher fees for out-of-town businesses.
Treasurer Melissa Moua sought feedback on nonregulatory incentives she previously proposed, including a banner program, website advertising, grant-writing courses and an annual business banquet; Building Inspector Gabe Martinsen said that regular inspections for public-safety compliance serve as an incentive by ensuring safe operations. Chair Brooke Bartholomew asked Attorney Rice to meet with her to organize the discussed items into draft ordinance language and to schedule another meeting to review and recommend an amending ordinance to the City Council.
