On Tuesday, the Nevada Senate passed the controversial bill SB 252, which would increase business licensing fees in Nevada for all businesses to create funding for Nevada’s failing education system.
According to a press release in early March from the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce, “The proposal would change Nevada’s flat $200 per year business license fee to a tiered system with rates ranging from $400 to $4 million a year; the fee will be determined by the business gross revenue and type of industry. Instead of collecting the fees annually, the fees will be collected quarterly. Currently the Business License fees are collected by the Office of the Secretary of the State, this bill is proposing to transfer this responsibility to the Nevada Department of Taxation. The revenue generated by this increase will help improve Nevada’s education system according to the proposal.”

What this will do to businesses in Mesquite is yet to be seen, but increasing licensing fees may prove to be yet another hurdle to bring business to Mesquite and keep it here.

The next step for the bill is to be heard in the Assembly, which will be sometime after May 1, when a projected budget for the State may be available.

To voice your opinions on SB 252, contact Assemblyman Chris Edwards, our District 19 Representative, by emailing him at chris.edwards@asm.state.nv.us.