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License Ordinance, Town of Warrenton

The Fauquier Democrat, Saturday, May 17, 1924
Be it ordained by the Council of the Town of Warrenton, that there shall be levied and collected from all persons subject to a license tax under this ordinance for the fiscal year, beginnning June 2, 1924 and ending May 31st 1925, and each year thereafter the following licenses taxes, viz:

1. On every real estate agent of firm the sum of fifteen dollars.
2. On persons or agents canvassing or offering for ale manufactured articles of any kind, or machines, sold byu them on commission or otherwise the sum of $10.00 on the first $1,000.00, and .20 on every $100.00 in excess of $1,000, but this does not apply to regular merchants.
3. On all auctioneers or common criers of sale the sum of five dollars.
4. On every junk dealer, who shall collect rags, paper, etc., and who does not have a place of business or storage for junk the sum of $5.00, and on every junk dealer who shall have a place for storage or sale of junk in the town of Warrenton, the sum of $25.00.
5. On every hotel which has not more than ten rooms for guests, the sum of $10.00 and on every hotel having more than ten rooms for quests the sum of $25.00.
6. On every eating house or restaurant the sum of ten dollars. But no such license shall be so issued if the said eating house is in or connected with a store.
7. On every person or firm keeping a billiard table, pool table of bagatelle table for public use whether a charge is made for playing or not the sum of $200.00 and the sum of $25.00 for each additional table in excess of one, and no blinds or screen to be allowed.
8. On every theatrical performance or any similar performance, panorama or any other public performane or exibition of any kind, lecture, reading except for charitable or educational purposes, given in a building where an admission is charged for each such performance the sum of two dollars and fifty cents.
9. On every exibition of a circus, menagerie or show or other exhibition of any kind not covered by preceding section, whethere exhibited under canvas or not within the corporate limits of the town or within one mile thereof the sum of twenty five dollars for each day's performance, and for every side show or exhibition connected therewith whether under canvas or not the sum of five dollars per day.
10. On every minstrel show or other similar performance, exhibited under canvas, except local talent minstrel shows for charitable or exucational purposes the sum of $25.00 for each performance or exibition.
11. On every attorney at law the sum of $fifteen dollars, but from the first five years from his admission to the bar his license shall be ten dollars.
12. On every physician and dentist the sum of ten dollars, but from the first five years from his admission to practice his license shall be five dollars.
13. On every oculist, optician or optometrist the sum of ten dollars.
14. On every keeper of a daguerotype, photograph or sun picture gallery, the sum of ten dollars.
15. On every merchant tailer or one who buys goods to be made up for persons the sum of five dollars.
16. On every vender of oils to merchants the sum of twenty-five dollars.
17. On every building and loan association the sum of ten dollars.
18. On every person, firm or corporation selling ice in the town of Warrenton the sum of ten dollars.
19. On every person, canvassing within the Town for the purse of making, enlarging, photographs, or selling pictures the sum of $5.00, except licensed photographers.
20. On every person, firm or corporation who shall keep a livery stable in which horses are kept at livery of fed for a charge, a license tax of five dollars, but this does not embrace storing of automobiles of license for anything other than horses.
21. On every person, firm or corporation operating automobiles for hire, or carrying passengers for compensation the sum of fifteen dollars for each machine.
22. On every person, firm or corporation operating for pay a house or garage for storage or repairs for automobiles, the sum of twenty give dollars.
23. On every shooting gallery the sum of five dollars per week.
24. On every butcher selling meat of any kind raised by some other person than himself the sum of ten dollars, except licensed merchants.
25. On every person having an automobile truck for hauling goods wares and merchandise that makes a charge for same shall pay a license tax of $15.00 And no such truck shall be so licensed or be operated in the town of a greater capacity than four tons.
26. On every person selling upon the public any patent medicines, patent right receipts, perscriptions of any drug or article of any kind by whomsoever mixed or prepared the sum of twenty dollars per day. Provided however that nothing herein contain shall be construed to require a tax from regularly licensed merchants or from parties having upon public occasions within the corporation for charitable purposes, from which refreshments are sold, provided the same shall not be an obstruction to the streets or otherwise objectionable. On all other persons having such tables whether on the street or not, which are not objectionable, the sum of two dollars per day. If said tables are objectionable whether had for charitable purposes or otherwise the sergeant is required to report same to the mayor.
27. On every agent for the sale of fertilizer the sum of ten dollars.
28. On every dealer in coal the license to be the same as upon merchants, viz: $10.00 upon purchase not exceeding $2,000 and an additional tax of twenty cents on the One Hundred Dollars of such excess.
29. On every person, firm or corporation, operating a wood yard the sum of five dollars, except merchants, or dealers in coal, and they shall be charged as merchants.
30. On every merchant miller the sum of twenty-five dollars.
31. On every merchant, mercantile firm or corporation engaged in business of a merchant, the sum of $10.00 when purchases do not exceed $1,000.00. On purchases over $1,000.00 not exceeding $2,000 $20.00 On purchases over $2,000 and up to $100,000 $20.00 on the first $2,000 and .20cents on each $100.00 in excess of $2,000 up to $100,000 and 10cents each over $100, over $100,000.
32. On every person who shall operate a hobby horse machine, merry go round or like machine, on which person are charged for riding the sum of $25.00 dollars per day.
33. On every person doing business as a barber there shall be a tax of $3.00 for each chair operated.
34. On every person operating a hand or steam laundry in town and on every agent soliciting buriness for a hand to steam laundry whether said laundry be operated in said town or nott for the sum of ten dollars.
35. On every fruit vendor buying and selling fruit or confections on the streets of said town the sum of $5.00.
36. On every skating rink or bowling alley the sum of forty dollars.
37. On every dealer in tobacco the sum of five dollars.
38. On every firm or corporation engaged in the manufacturing electricity for sale the sum of twenty five dollars.
39. On every person, firm or corporation engaged in the manufacturing of ice the sum of ten dollars.
40. On every horse show association the sum of fifteen dollars.
41. On every person engagted in cleaning, pressing, or dyeing clothes for compensation the sum of ten dollars.
42. On all plumbers or tinners the sum of ten dollars, but not to include buying and selling.
43. On all blacksmiths or wheelwrights the sum of ten dollars, but not to include buying or selling.
44. On every person firm or corporation engaged in the contracting business there shall be a license tax on each contract exceeing $500.00 of $2.00 and when such contracts exceeds $1,000 a tax of $2.00 for each addition $1,000 of such contract. Said tax shall be assessed by the building Inspector at the time of issuance of the building permit, but no work is to be done under such contrct until such contractor has paid the license tax above provided for to the treasurer of the town.
45. On every person, firm or corporation selling automobiles or vehicles on commission, or otherwise the same license that is charged a merchant.
46. On every undertaker or embalmer the sum of ten dollars.
47. Every person or firm engaged in the Moving Picture business shall pay a license of $65.00 per year when the seating capacity of the hall is three hundred or more, and the sum of $45.00 per year when the seating capacity of the hall is less than three hundred. This charge to be for all hall buildings where pictures are shown. This licenses to include theatrical performances when shown in connection with moving pictures.
48. On every dance, concert or performance other than picture shows where a charge is made for same, and not provided for otherwise herein, there shall be paid the sum of $10.00 for such dance or performance.
49. On every shoemaker or shoe-repairer the sum of $5.00. One who buys and sells articles in addition to makeing or repairing the sum of $10.00.
50. On every resident of non-resident baker who operates delivery wagons, the sum of $75.00 on each wagon operated.
51. Every telephone company or person or firm owning any telephone exchange and doing business in this town, or between this town and other points in the State of Virginia, shall pay license tax of thirty Dollars upon each of said telephone exchanges owned and operated by said person, firm or company, or any of their subscribers with in the town.
52. Every telegraph company or person or firm owning or operating any telegraph line, or having an office within the said town where messages are received for transmission between any points within the State of Virginia, shall pay a license tax of Twenty Dollars for each said office within the town.
53. Every firm, person or corporation having on the streets, alleys or other place in the Town of Warrenton, or in any shop, store, hotel, boarding house, depot, or public or private rooms, a slot machine, or punch board of any description into which to drop pennies or coins of other demonations, to dispose of cigars, cigarettes or any other merchandise shall pay for every such machine or board, or other devices, engaged as the case may be a license tax of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars for each Machine or Board.
54. Every published or printer shall pay for the priviledge the sum of Ten Dollars.
55. The Town Manager may refuse to issue a license to any person and may revoke or annul an license hereafter granted for any just cause, subject to the approval of the council.
56. On all persons, firms or corporations engaged in business not specifically embraced in the foregoing sections and liable to taxation under the laws of the State of Virgina, there shall be assessed by the Assessor of the Town the same license tax as assessed by the State.

In accordance with the licenses herein provided for, the assessor of town shall make out three lists of the person, firms or corporation of town subject to a license tax, the amount thereof and the period to be covered by same and certify the same under oath, one copy he shall deliver to the Treasure of said Town, one to the finance Committee of the Council of said Town, and other he shall deliver to the Records of said town to be filed with papers of said town. For issuing said license to the assessor shall be paide a fee of fifty cents to be paid by the party to whom said license is issued.

No person, firm or corporation shall engage in or offer to engage in any business, profession or occupation for which a licnese tax is required as herein specified with out such license and the prepayment of said tax and any person, firm or corporation or agent or employee of firm or corporation violating this ordinance whall be fined not exceeing $50.00 for each day's offense, and indefault of payment of such find and the cost incident there to such person, firm or corporation, agent or employee of same, may be sentenced to confienment in the jail of Fauquier County, Virginia, as prescribed by statures of Virginia for failure to pay fines and during the time of such confinement may be required to work on chain gang of said town as prescribed by law.

It shall be the duty of the Assessor of the town to see that no person, firms or corporation engage in business in said town with out a license, and he shall report to the Mayor all such persons at once, and such Mayor shall immediately issue a warrant against such offenders to be dealth with as herein provided. Every license granted for the unexpired portion of the term heretofore mentioned shalel be charged pro rata unless otherwise provided, but no license shall be granted for less sum than $1.00 not for a longer period than the 31st of May thereafter ensuing in the rfiscal year.

All ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed. This ordinance shall go into effect as soon as published as provided.
This Ordinance shall be published by one insertion in a paper in the Town of Warrenton.

COUNCIL OF TOWN OF WARRENTON
Adopted at meeting of Council town of Warrenton May 6, 1924
Last Updated: April 2020