Скачать или смотреть Tempe Small Business Owner Opposes General Business License at City Council (May 22, 2025)

On May 22, 2025, I spoke at the Tempe City Council meeting to urge the rejection of the proposed General Business License—fees and red tape that would burden nearly 30,000 small businesses and nonprofits, including Keep Tempe Beautiful, Kiwanis Club of Tempe, and Tempe Sister Cities. As a small business owner and nonprofit board member, I know this mandate would divert time and energy from serving our clients and community. Public comments are 4:1 against this plan, and our Change.org petition is nearing 100 signatures!

The city claims this license will create a business database, but a voluntary, no-cost database would better serve Tempe without threatening privacy for home-based or minority-owned businesses. With a $20M budget shortfall, fee hikes are likely, as seen in Mesa. Let’s keep Tempe business-friendly for ASU entrepreneurs and solopreneurs!

Join the fight! Sign our petition: https://www.change.org/p/reject-tempe... Wear red and attend the July 1, 2025, Tempe City Council meeting to demand policies that uplift, not obstruct, our small businesses and nonprofits. Subscribe for updates and share this video to spread the word!

#GoWithJoe #NoBusinessLicense #TempeSmallBiz #TempeBusiness

Joe Forte for Tempe City Council