Business Licenses No Longer Required in Mat-Su Borough

In a groundbreaking move, businesses in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough will no longer be required to purchase and display a borough license, following a unanimous vote by the Borough Assembly. The decision, which is set to take effect as soon as it is signed by Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, marks the end of a requirement that has been in place since late 1995.

The $100 fee for the license, which needed to be renewed every two years, will no longer burden local businesses. However, this change does not affect the state and local licensing requirements that are still in place. Businesses in Alaska must still hold a state-issued license with a $50 annual fee, while those in Palmer, Wasilla, or Houston must obtain a city-issued license costing $25 per year.

With over 10,000 entities currently holding borough business licenses, the repeal is expected to result in a loss of approximately $541,000 in annual income for the borough. However, officials are optimistic that this loss can be offset by redirecting business license staff to focus on securing new federal funding sources through grant applications.

The decision to repeal the business license requirement was met with support from assembly members and is seen as a positive step towards streamlining regulations and reducing unnecessary fees for local businesses. The move also aligns with the borough’s efforts to utilize existing data shared by the state for economic development tasks, rather than duplicating efforts through the now-defunct business license program.