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Local Business Owners Speak Out Against Street User Fee
Posted: Mar 21, 2013 3:04 PM by Caroline Flores - cflores@kristv.com
Updated: Mar 21, 2013 6:49 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Southside business owners met up with the Chamber of Commerce to discuss the street user fee today. At the meeting local business owners got a chance to tell the Chamber of Commerce exactly how this fee could effect them.
They say the fee could cause them to higher prices at their stores and pass the cost off to customers or just get rid of some jobs.
"We're strangled right now. So what's going to happen is... What you don't hear is that we get rid of people. Or we cut hours because that is what we control the easiest," said one local business owner.
But that's not even the worst scenario.
"You're going to see some businesses close. And it's going to be the small businesses," said another business owner.
"If we're paying an 80 to 90 dollar a month fee, than our business is out," said a different business owner.
That is exactly why the Chamber says they are stepping in.
"It makes me worry! I mean we have to protect the business community. That's the job of the Chamber of Commerce," said President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Foster Edwards.
And after hearing how this fee could effect some businesses, one council member who attended the meeting was having second thoughts on the ordinance he voted in favor of.
" I supported it going forward. But I might pull my vote back if I don't feel that staff and the City Council has made any movement in going at least and addressing the concerns that the business community has. The small business community in particular," said Council member Rudy Garza.
Saying he couldn't handle it if a small business failed because of a decision he made.
"My conscience would hurt me... I mean would bother me if I put any small business out of business because they said hey, this is the straw that broke the camels back," said Garza.
The second reading of the ordinance will be in about six weeks. At that time Garza and and the business community hopes it will come with quite a few changes.
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