Last week, Athens City Council passed an ordinance that has alienated some local vendors looking forward to the economically prosperous Halloween weekend. In past years, the city has collected a small base fee along with 10 percent of vendors' nightly earnings to help pay for the annual festivities. This year, the profit-based taxing has been cast aside in favor of a larger base fee. Local vendors have responded negatively, but their criticism is premature. The new fees provide the city with a concrete plan to generate funds necessary for running the street party.
The ordinance is designed to favor local, year-round vendors, who will have to pay a base fee of $150 per night and nothing more. In contrast, out-of-town vendors will be forced to pay $500 per night. The city has scrapped its former profit-based taxing because of alleged dishonesty from vendors about their actual collected profits. Some local vendors disagree with the new plan arguing that because they already pay city taxes they should be exempt from the fee. However, a fee for local vendors is needed to prevent them from buying city licenses and only selling on Halloween, thus circumventing the higher out-of-town fees. All things considered, the changes that have been made will only ease the process of funding Athens' beloved tradition.
This changed policy toward local vendors is not likely to prove excessively harmful and could even benefit them financially because if they have a profitable Halloween the city will not get a percentage of the profits. Whereas before the most successful vendors were unduly punished for attracting high volumes of customers by having more money taken away from them, the new system takes a more egalitarian approach to taxation. In addition, it provides a more streamlined means for the city to make its much-anticipated annual event possible and makes it easier for the city to actually collect the fees.
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Base fee best option for vendors
