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Residents and business owners urge Courtside council to end four‑day workweek over access and tax concerns
Summary
Public commenters and business owners urged the Courtside Town Council to return municipal employees to a five‑day schedule, saying the four‑10 arrangement limits resident access to services and complicates vendor tax reporting; staff defended current operations and said outreach to show organizers is improving compliance.
Courtside residents, business owners and municipal staff traded sharply different views on a proposed return to a five‑day municipal workweek during a council meeting focused on service access and vendor tax compliance.
A town official responding to questions said staff have not raised fees or changed code, that vendor support has been available seven days a week during the season, and that many problems stem from paperwork timing and an influx of new vendors rather than the Friday closures. "We met with Kimmy King this morning" and "once she knows, she'll let us know," the official said, describing a plan to work with show organizers to notify and educate vendors so they list Courtside on their state transaction privilege tax (TPT) filings.
Why it matters: Courtside relies heavily on sales tax as its principal revenue source. Multiple council members and commenters warned that vendors who fail to list the town on TPT returns leave the municipality with less revenue to fund services residents expect.
Public commenters focused on two linked worries: reduced weekday access to municipal services and apparent gaps in vendor tax reporting. One resident who identified himself as a Courtside resident said he has come to City Hall during normal business hours only to find locked doors, calling it "not just an inconvenience" but a limitation on services taxpayers rely on.
Several residents said the compressed four‑10 schedule makes it harder for people who cannot rearrange work or childcare. "I respectfully ask the council to put the residents first and return City Hall to a five‑day work week," one resident said during public comment. Former council member Carolyn Hardy told the council she had seen vendors reporting very low sales figures despite high booth receipts and said that perceived vendor noncompliance makes residents feel secondary to seasonal vendors.
Municipal employees and supporters pushed back. A town employee who identified herself as Kendra said the four‑day schedule provides "critical flexibility" that helps employees schedule medical appointments and second jobs; she said losing Fridays could cut her take‑home pay by about $600 a month. Kendra cited a 2022 study she said showed reduced burnout and higher job satisfaction under four‑day pilots and asked the council to weigh employee well‑being in any decision.
Council members described specific operational tradeoffs. One member noted that, given the existing budget, moving to a five‑day schedule would shorten daily operating hours and could leave gaps when particular staff who handle permitting, utilities or building inspections are not present. Another pointed to state Department of Revenue (DOR) practices that have closed vendor accounts without notice; one vendor who traveled from Wisconsin was later charged roughly $1,000 in penalties after the state required back‑filing zero returns.
Possible solutions discussed at the meeting included: closer collaboration with show organizers to identify and educate new vendors (S1 said organizer Kimmy King reported about 40% of vendors were new), a vendor license verification check the town could encourage, seasonal schedules (four‑day in off‑season, five‑day during peak months) and staggered staffing so the front counter is staffed some day every week.
Business owner Larry North urged the council to prioritize consistent public access: "Our duty is to our citizens in this town," he said, adding that Courtside's unique seasonal pattern means practices elsewhere may not translate directly.
What the council did: The transcript records an extended public‑comment period and council discussion of the issues but does not show a formal vote or policy change recorded during the meeting. Council members asked staff to continue working with show organizers and consider operational options including staggered schedules or seasonal adjustments.
Next steps: The council left the matter open for further discussion and public input; no final action on the workweek schedule was recorded in the provided transcript.
