Queen Creek business licenses and business-license renewal fees are being waived July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021 in a program approved recently by the Town Council.
“In an effort to assist the town’s business community, we’ve outlined a program to waive business license and business-license renewal fees,” Economic Development Director Doreen Cott said at a recent council meeting.
An ordinance approved by the council states that assistance is necessary to help businesses with a fixed place of business in the Town of Queen Creek recover and restart from impacts from COVID-19.
“The ordinance outlines that the business fees will be waived for the fiscal year 2020-21, allowing every new and existing business in Queen Creek to benefit from this program. The program will only be for businesses that have a physical Queen Creek location; this will affect approximately 865 Queen Creek businesses,” Ms. Cott said. “An emergency cause is included in the ordinance in order to make the program effective immediately.”
Waiving the business license fees --- $60 for new businesses and $40 for renewals --- will result in a revenue reduction of approximately $37,000 in the operating budget, according to a memo to the council from Ms. Cott.
The Town Council on July 1 voted unanimously to approve a resolution for the program with an emergency clause. On the dais were Mayor Gail Barney and Councilmembers Jake Hoffman and Robin Benning. Meeting by WebEx were Vice Mayor Julia Wheatley and Councilmembers Jeff Brown and Dawn Oliphant. Councilmember Emilena Turley was absent.
“Another ordinance I’m highly in support of,” Vice Mayor Wheatley said prior to the vote.
Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer
rdyer@iniusa.org
Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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