Check of 684 Potential Unlicensed Businesses Finds Only 27 Requiring Licenses – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

May 18, 2015
A year after an internal audit review found 684 potentially unlicensed businesses, it turns out there was only 27 not licensed according to bylaws.
The City’s internal audit review office stated the City was potentially losing upwards of $130,000 per year, and City Council passed putting a full-time staff member onto
Of the 684, 277 obtained licenses after the snapshot data used from May 2013. Most of these businesses were listed as unlicensed because they were in the process of obtaining licenses. Contact with Public Health and Fire is common as part of the licensing process – creating the impression for internal audit these businesses were operating without licenses.
152 were businesses not requiring license, 191 are no longer operating, 27 were known to staff who and are in the courts for enforcement, and there were 4 duplicate address.
The staff follow-up report, written by Manager of Licensing and Permits Al Fletcher, agrees with the review recommendation to improve data tracking and to link the separate databases to better track licensing issues.