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License amnesty set to end this week

Tarpon Springs officials say they've seen more inquiries about occupational licenses since amnesty began Oct. 1.

By ROBIN STEIN
Published November 29, 2005

TARPON SPRINGS - Diane Margaritis was in City Hall on Monday to get permits for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral's Epiphany celebration when a sign caught her eye.

She was just in time.

The city's amnesty period for anyone who needs an occupational license and doesn't have one will expire Thursday.

Margaritis stopped by the building development office and learned that the church had not yet acquired city licenses for the two schools it operates.

"That's technically my job to think of these things," said Margaritis, the church's financial secretary, who proceeded to fill out the paperwork without fear or penalty.

Since 2001, the city has issued about 2,500 occupational licenses a year, according to development statistics. Since Oct. 1, when the amnesty began, inquiries about occupational licenses have increased, though city officials have not determined how many new licenses they've issued.

Enticing people to get their business activities on the books was precisely the intent, said City Commissioner Robin Saenger, who proposed the amnesty.

Saenger said she was interested in looking at how people here make a living, but she learned that would not be simple.

"I just started realizing how many people work out of their homes and how much the face of the workforce is changing," she said.

She believes many businesses fail to get licensed because they lack awareness, not scruples.

"It probably didn't occur to them if they are working out of their home that they would need a license," she said.

The potential for murkiness is evident even in a small sample of recent licensees. Applicants range from well-known businesses, such as Starbucks and Bi-Wise Drugs, to the more obscure enterprises like carpet installers and party planners.

Saenger said the amnesty also presented an opportunity to generate income for the city.

The city's fees for occupational licenses vary. While licenses for seafood merchants cost $51.25, fortune-tellers and mental healers must pay $1,921.87. Adult modeling agencies pay $1,500, compared to nonadult modeling enterprises which pay only $41.

But during the 2003-04 fiscal year, occupational license fees brought in more than $197,000.

The same year, the city collected just $3,006 in license and permit penalties.

Fines for violators and late filers are capped by the city code at 25 percent of the license fee, which may not deter determined cheaters.

"Obviously, if people don't want to do it, there is not much we can do," Saenger said. "I just looked at this as part of a way to stand up and be counted."

[Last modified November 29, 2005, 02:15:28]