Braselton businesses to pay $500 late fine for licenses

Braselton Tile, Shear Envy and Travel Related Services (also known as Goss Getaways) didn’t pay their business occupational taxes by a Dec. 31 deadline and were charged a $500 late penalty.

Like other cities and counties, Braselton requires that businesses in the town annually renew their licenses. The tax in Braselton for the license is based on the number of employees at the business — starting at a total of $85 for one or two employees.

Town manager Jennifer Dees said business license renewal notices were mailed in October and were due by Nov. 15. A notice followed that deadline for businesses that didn’t pay the tax.

At the end of December, the town sent someone to visit those businesses that still didn’t pay the occupational tax, Dees explained. On Jan. 1, those businesses were then told to pay a $500 fine in addition to the tax to renew their licenses.

Representatives from three businesses in Braselton asked the town to waive the $500 fine. The excuses included not receiving the renewal notices, being out of town and misplacing the paperwork, Dees told the town council on Thursday, Jan. 5.

“For these particular three (businesses), it is the first time (they asked for a waiver),” she said.

But council member Tony Funari, who operates a real estate business in the town, said he paid his occupational tax by the end of 2011.

“The management of the town makes every effort to get people to pay on time,” he said.

A total of 49 out of 436 businesses in Braselton didn’t pay their occupational taxes by Dec. 31. Of those 49 businesses — two have paid the $500 late fine without asking for a waiver, three businesses are seeking a waiver from the penalty and town officials are tracking down or processing the remaining 44.

Dees said the late fine dates back at least 10 years and it has been several years since any delinquent business has asked the town to waive the penalty.

Other Business
In other business, the Braselton Town Council:
•met in a closed-door meeting for 20 minutes on Monday to discuss “acquisition of real estate and pending or potential litigation.” When the council opened the meeting to the public, it voted to “authorize the town manager and town attorney to acquire the land discussed in executive session by any means possible.”

•agreed to move forward on amending the town’s Community Improvement District (CID) legislation, as requested by the Braselton CID board of directors. The change would allow the CID to apply for grants. The change to the local legislation requires action by the General Assembly, which started its 2012 session on Monday.

•reappointed Jennifer Dees to town manager, town clerk, voting registrar and election superintendent.

•reappointed Gregory Jay to town attorney

•reappointed Peggy Slappey to the Braselton Visitors Bureau Authority.

•learned that it will appoint its mayor pro-tem in February, since Mayor Bill Orr was unable to attend Monday’s meeting.