A much-touted program rolled out in January to allow business people to pay for a single inter-municipal business permit for the Tri-Cities had a slow uptake in the first quarter of this year.
According to a Coquitlam city staff report released this week, 37 mobile business licences were sold in the three cities between Jan. 1 and April 30, 23 of them in Coquitlam.
Endorsed by the Tri-Cities' Chamber of Commerce, the program is intended to make it easier and cheaper for entrepreneurs such as landscapers, contractors and restorers to do business in and around Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody.
Mobile permits - an "add-on" to the regular business licence - currently exist in other B.C. municipalities and, in each of those jurisdictions, local governments have seen a greater compliance under the simplified program. In turn, it also generated significant revenues for the participating municipalities.
Coquitlam Coun. Craig Hodge, a past chamber president who lobbied for the initiative along with Port Coquitlam Coun. Mike Forrest and Port Moody Coun. Diana Dilworth, said he suspects sales were lower than expected in the first quarter as business owners are waiting for their Coquitlam licence to expire before purchasing a mobile permit. (In Coquitlam, licenses are valid for a year from the purchase date rather than following the calendar year).
Hodge said he would like to see the three cities roll out an advertising campaign this fall to better promote the program. And he would like to see the program tweaked to expand the criteria to allow for more businesses to apply.
But Michelle Hunt, Coquitlam's manager of corporate planning, said city staff spoke last week with the provincial government (which helped to set up the funding formula and structure the program) and concluded no more changes would be made. As well, Hunt said projected sales are now on track for the year.
"The program needs to be region-wide so that all 22 [Metro Vancouver] municipalities are involved," Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said. "Once it's gone regional, there will be a whole lot of incentive for people to take part in it."
