Personal property tax requirement for occupational licenses enacted in Springfield 

Businesses must pay their personal property taxes as a requirement for occupational licenses following the approval of a resolution by Springfield City Council at its June 23 meeting. 

The council action amends the chapter of Springfield city code that covers business and occupational licenses. It now says, “An application for an occupational license shall include a receipt showing payment of all personal property taxes due Greene County for property held in the name of the applicant for the previous calendar year.” The code specifies that an occupational license may not be issued until personal property taxes are paid. 

A business personal property tax is levied on tangible personal property used in a business operation and can include items like furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, tools and supplies. 

Persistence paid off for the legislation, a key focus for Councilmember Craig Hosmer, who first introduced the bill March 24 in joint sponsorship with former Mayor Ken McClure.  

Hosmer has said the two were asked to propose the legislation by Greene County Collector Allen Icet and Assessor Brent Johnson. Money from personal property taxes primarily goes toward schools, according to Hosmer, but also to libraries and services for people with developmental disabilities. 

Over Hosmer’s objection in March, council forwarded the matter to council’s Plans and Policies Committee for further review. Hosmer has said when his bills go to committee, they often don’t come back.  

Councilmember Abe McGull said at the time that a committee meeting is the place to iron out issues with council bills. He said the city needed to have a mechanism to enforce the requirement.  

Hosmer countered that businesses should pay their fair share, just as vehicle owners are required to when they pay property taxes on their cars at the time of registration.  

In March, Hosmer compared the business personal property tax measure to the vehicle registration legislation passed by council in February, noting, “If businesses aren’t paying their personal property tax, they should be equally as responsible as any individual to pay what their fair share of what their tax obligations are.” 

Greene County Assessor Johnson told council in March that there are 11,000 business licenses in Springfield, but only about 4,000 businesses submitted personal property taxes at the start of the year as required.  

At the June 23 meeting, Hosmer said the committee to which the measure was referred has met only twice in the last seven months. A council rule invoked by Hosmer allows members to reintroduce measures relegated to committees after inaction. 

“Going through committee is a good idea if committees meet,” he said.  

The vote in favor of the measure was 6-1, with Derek Lee voting against it and Brandon Jenson and Monica Horton abstaining. Joining Hosmer in supporting the bill were McGull, Bruce Adib-Yazdi, Callie Carroll, Heather Hardinger and Mayor Jeff Schrag.  

At the June 9 council meeting, when the resurrected bill had its first reading and public hearing, Hosmer had said he would continue to bring the issue back from committee until it is voted on, because that is his prerogative as a council member.