WELLS — A public hearing is slated for Tuesday on a proposal to increase the annual license fees that lodging and campground facilities must pay per unit.
A reason given for the proposed fee increases is that there hasn’t been an increase in at least a decade, said Town Manager Jonathan Carter. When he initially made the proposal on Jan. 21, Carter suggesting raising the lodging license fee by $15 per unit and increasing the campground fee by $14 per lot.
Currently, the lodging license fee is $10 per unit and the campground fee is $1 per site, with a $100 maximum.
The business license fee in Wells is $10.
After objections to the proposed steep fee increase by the board of selectmen, the proposed increase is to add $5 to the current lodging license fee to make it $15 per unit. The campground lot license fee would double to $2.
“That’s a huge increase,” said Selectman Christopher Chase, in response to the proposal. “What are they getting in return?”
Selectman Robert Foley agreed.
“That’s an enormous increase to businesses that bring people here who spend money to keep our economy humming,” he said.
He questioned, “Why have the fee?” saying that businesses already pay property taxes, which should cover town services.
“This is a regulatory fee for work we do,” said Carter.
He said there are thousands of lodging units and the work required to manage them takes staff time.
“The fees were initially instituted to pay for a staff member to conduct inspections and enforce town rules,” said Selectman Richard Clark.
“I think an adjustment is in order,” but, he said, he didn’t favor the high increases recommended by Carter and other staff members.
The Wells Chamber of Commerce sent out a notice of the public hearing to its members. In the email from the chamber to its members, it includes fees charged by some neighboring towns:
In York, the lodging license fee is $50 a year and $25 for each 10 units; in Ogunquit, the business license fee is $50 a year; the Kennebunk business license fee is a one-time charge of $30, a $75 per year lodging license fee and a $150 per year fee if food is served; in Kennebunkport, there is a $50 per year lodging license fee if food is served; and in Old Orchard Beach, there is a one-time business license fee of $75, a lodging license fee of $20 per unit per year for year-round properties or $200 per year for seasonal properties.
Chamber Executive Director Eleanor Vadenais urged business owners who are not in favor of the fee increase to attend the public hearing on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.
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