Green Bay's New Rule: Pay Up or Lose Your Business License

Green Bay is considering a new rule. It's about business licenses and permits. The city wants to stop giving them to people who owe property taxes. This is not new. Other cities in Wisconsin already do this. But Green Bay is different. Right now, someone can owe years of taxes and still get a license. The city wants to change that. The new rule has some exceptions. If you rent a place for your business and the landlord owes taxes, you can still get a license. But there's a catch. You can't be related to the landlord or have any other money deal with them. If you own the property and the business, you're out of luck. City officials talked about this rule. They had questions. One council member asked if the rule would stop someone from getting a license for a new building. The answer was yes, but only if the license is for that person. If it's for the building, they can get it. Another council member asked about dog licenses. The answer was no. Dog licenses, fishing licenses, and marriage licenses are exempt. This rule is about getting the city's money. It's not about stopping people from getting married or owning a dog. The rule is not perfect. It has loopholes. But it's a start. The city hopes this will make people pay their taxes. It's a way to get money without the county's help. The Finance Committee liked the idea. They sent it to the City Council for a vote. This rule is about responsibility. If you owe money, you should pay it. If you don't, you can't run a business. It's that simple. But it's not just about money. It's about fairness. People who pay their taxes shouldn't have to compete with those who don't.