When the operating and capital budgets for next year were approved by council earlier this month, a motion was also passed to remove business licence requirements.
Mayor Chris Little points out it is more about the paper work and they are trying to find every way they can to make it easier for people to do business in Didsbury. Little says “it equated to about $40,000 in lost revenue, but it is a very administratively heavy process so almost half of that was cost on the back end that we would lose so really in the end it was only about $20,000 in revenue that was lost which, you know, spread over millions of millions of dollars over the course of the year is really a small amount.”
Little notes it builds good will but it also will hopefully get Didsbury some increased tax base down the road, which will more than offset that $20,000 or $25,000 per year. He says “we are trying to be a business friendly environment. Didsbury wants to grow, we want to be a place where people come and bring their families and bring their businesses. We are trying to find every way we can to make it easier for people to do business here. It is a small amount of money to pay but it is more about the time and the paper work that is involved so we thought that that was a good move to make us a little bit more inviting to new businesses.”
Didsbury council managed to cut spending by more than $500,000 in the budget for 2026 which will also help to offset the loss in licence revenue. According to the Town, communication with current business licence holders “is underway to ensure that the services and supports provided by the Town of Didsbury continue.”
