In an effort to collect taxes owed to the city by landscaping businesses, Bexley City Council passed an ordinance at its Oct. 28 meeting that requires landscape contractors to purchase a permit before doing business.
To avoid the possibility of confusion or targeting young entrepreneurs who do yard work for money, the council agreed to specify that people younger than the age of 18 or grossing fewer than $2,000 dollars a year for their work would not need to get a permit.
Council Member Robyn Jones, who introduced the ordinance, said she wanted to make sure that it was clear who was required to get a permit. Since they aren’t trying to target high-school kids trying to make a buck on lawns, she said council members should spell that out to avoid any confusion down the road.
The ordinance, she said, is intended to keep track of who is doing business in Bexley. For example, companies from outside Bexley that do lawn care in the city could use the fact that their addresses are outside Bexley to avoid paying taxes. By requiring a permit, the city would make sure it didn’t overlook those companies.
City Auditor Larry Heiser said the idea came from the city of Solon, Ohio, near Cleveland. Solon has implemented the policy for 18 years without having a problem, he said.
