Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 13, 1995 TAG: 9505150036
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Putting a quick halt to a growing furor over $50 fees for vendors at local festivals, Commissioner of Revenue Marsha Compton Fielder on Friday said Roanoke won't impose "itinerant merchant license" fees on artists, crafts-makers and food vendors at Festival in the Park this year.
Instead, the city will waive the fee for vendors at festivals in the city while Fielder devises legislation that specifically addresses events organized by not-for-profit agencies.
Vendors who have already paid fees to sell wares at the recent Chili Cookoff and the Henry Street and Railway festivals last year will get refunds, Fielder said.
At least temporarily, the move represents an about-face on a trend Fielder's office had begun last year by imposing the fee on all vendors at city festivals.
Although the city code has required the licenses for 40 years, enforcement of it was spotty until Fielder took office last year. In the past 16 months, it has brought in $18,500.
Fielder's decision was greeted with relief by organizers of Festival in the Park, who objected to the fees in a letter to the city this month. The $50 cost is a hardship on small artists who may sell little or nothing, organizers had complained.
"I'm glad," said Wendi Schultz, executive director of Festival in the Park. "I think it's certainly - in light of what's transpired - a good move on the city's part, and I thank them for it."
It also means Grandin Village Day, scheduled for May 20, will go off as planned, said Marti Barnett, secretary of the Grandin Village Business and Professionals Association.
The business group met early Friday and decided to cancel the neighborhood celebration rather than force its 25 vendors to pay the $50 fee.
"It's really bad business on the City of Roanoke's part to alienate these festivals like Festival in the Park and Grandin Village Day," Barnett said. "Because they really bring a lot of business into the city. You don't want to bite the hand that feeds you."
There were few publicly voiced complaints when Fielder began imposing the fee last year. The controversy arose when her office notified Festival in the Park - the largest arts fest in Roanoke - that each of its 370 vendors had to pay up.
Schultz announced early Friday that she, festival board members and artists would ask for a change in the law at council's next meeting, May 22.
Several council members seemed inclined to go along, but one strongly opposed changing the law.
Councilman William White is adamant that the tax stay on the city books, and he defended Fielder's enforcement.
"I'm glad Marsha is doing her job. That's what she was elected to do," White said. "I'm not willing to go back and change the law. We have too many people who aren't paying their fair share."
Stringent enforcement brings more money into city coffers. That ultimately reduces the need to raise taxes or impose more fees, White noted.
But Councilman Jack Parrott said the itinerant merchant fee probably isn't worth the bad feelings it's causing.
"Let's just get rid of [fees for all festival vendors]. They don't bring that much money in. From what these [festivals] attract, I think it would be well worth abandoning the tax," he said.
"We hope to accommodate Festival in the Park, and we know that everyone should be treated fairly," Mayor David Bowers said.
Vice Mayor John Edwards said council is sympathetic to the vendors.
"Festival in the Park is very important to Roanoke. We want to encourage vendors. I know we want to encourage festivals," he said.
Since the dispute became public this week, Fielder said she had received several calls of support from businesses who believe mobile merchants should pay taxes just like city businesses do.
"At the same time, we clearly understand the concerns of area artists who feel the $50 fee is too high," she said.
by CNB