Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said an ordinance would help bring more quality entrepreneurs to the city, and the Gary Common Council agreed to it at its meeting Tuesday.
The council approved an ordinance amending a portion of the city’s municipal code regarding contractor licenses. The change aims to simplify operations, allowing out-of-town contractors to waive an examination if they have a license from another city or county.
Currently, the city’s municipal code requires contractors to pass a Gary-focused exam before starting work, even if they have a license from another city or county.
The council passed the ordinance in a 7-1 vote. Rep. Linda Barnes Caldwell, D-5th voted no, and Rep. Mary Brown, D-3rd, was absent.
Florzell Hawkins, commissioner of the city’s building department, said the ordinance was designed to present Gary as a business-friendly community.
“Most of your national developers and contractors don’t normally have problems with the exam,” Hawkins said. “It is the time that is needed to go through this process.”
Barnes Caldwell told Hawkins he doesn’t mind the changes, and believes the stricter rules will benefit the city.
“I don’t think that’s really justice for the people here,” Barnes Caldwell said. “We have a reputation for having a tough test for a reason. It means something if you pass it.
The city is asking for reciprocity with the changes, Melton said, adding that licensing tests in other communities are similar.
The changes are not intended to downgrade the ratings, he said, and he believes the changes will bring more quality contractors to Gary.
Melton said the city has a problem with unskilled people working on projects throughout Gary, doing projects like repairing roofs or tearing down a house. That makes dumping illegal, which city officials want to crack down on, Melton said.
“We’re looking to bring in a more qualified contractor to help build new homes and also build retail, commercial and industrial space,” he said.
Council members Dwight Williams, D-6th, and Darren Washington, D-At Large, agreed that reciprocity is long overdue.
If a person or business is well equipped in their trade, they should not have a problem passing the test, Washington said. However, he believes that requiring the test opens up other problems in Gary.
Without competition from other contractors, some businesses in Gary are “holding residents hostage,” Washington said.
“When they don’t see the competition, they decide to significantly increase their prices,” he added, “and it causes complications with owners who are trying to enhance their property value.”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com