Monterey County Grand Jury • 2014-2015

Web Site Business License Applications, City of Salinas

Published: May 15, 2015 6 pages

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⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 5 findings

The business portal of the City’s web site does not permit a new business license applicant to apply for a business license on-line by using a fillable PDF form.

The City of Salinas has hired outside contractors to collect delinquent business license fees.

The business portal of the City’s web site does not contain a secure page for the payment of all license fees (initial and subsequent) by debit/credit card.

The City’s web site is incomplete in that it lacks a link to the definitions of all business types and a schedule of the current license fees for each type of business.

The City is losing revenue and failing to protect the public because its web site does not list the current business licensees and the dates each license expires.

Recommendations 5

R1

Add to the Business Portal of the City’s web site the current business license application as a type-in fillable PDF form that can be sent to the City’s Finance Department via the City’s web site without an actual signature but with a checked verification of the information under penalty of perjury.
R2

The City of Salinas hire or assign an employee to track and collect delinquent business li- cense fees.
R3

Add a secure credit/debit card page so that license fees, new as well as renewal, may be paid on-line.
R4

Create a link to a page on the City’s web site that explains clearly to the public how to cal- culate the business license fees for all categories of businesses and include step-by-step ex- amples of how to calculate the fees for the most common businesses.
R5

Create and maintain on a periodic basis (at least annually), a data base on the web site that includes the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all of the City’s business licensees and when each license expires.