(A) The fees for a solicitor’s license shall be as specified in § 110.08. No fee for a solicitor’s license shall be so applied as to occasion an undue burden upon interstate commerce. In any case where a license fee is believed by a licensee or applicant for a license to place an undue burden upon interstate commerce, he or she may apply to the Mayor for an adjustment of the fees so that it shall not be discriminatory, unreasonable or unfair as to such commerce. Such application may be made before, at or within six months after payment of the prescribed license fee. The applicant shall, by affidavit, and supporting testimony, show his or her method of business and gross volume, or estimated gross volume, of business and such other information as the Mayor may deem necessary in order to determine the extent, if any, of such undue burden on such commerce.
(B) The Mayor shall then conduct an investigation, comparing the applicant’s business with other businesses of like nature and shall make findings of fact from which he or she shall determine whether the fee fixed for the solicitor’s license is unfair, unreasonable or discriminatory as to applicant’s business and shall fix as the license fee for the applicant an amount that is fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory or, if the fee has already been paid, shall order a refund of the amount over and above the fee so fixed. In fixing the fee to be charged, the Mayor shall have the power to base the fee upon a percentage of gross sales or any other method which will assure that the fee assessed shall be uniform with that assessed on businesses of like nature, so long as the amount assessed does not exceed the fee as prescribed by § 110.08.
(C) Should the Mayor determine the gross sales measure of the fee to be the fair basis, he or she may require the applicant to submit, either at the time of termination of applicant’s business in the city or at the end of each three-month period, a sworn statement of the gross sales and pay the amount of fee therefor, provided that no additional fee during any one license year shall be required after the licensee shall have paid an amount equal to the annual license fee as prescribed in § 110.08.
(1979 Code, § 7.84)