Merchants could soon be required to pay the city a few extra bucks when setting up a booth at Market Day or the Bridge Crossing Jubilee.

The Selma City Council is working on an ordinance that would set prices for peddlers and booths at special events. Currently no ordinance exists for vendor licenses.

The proposed prices for booths at events are $30 for the first day and $10 for subsequent days. The price is assessed per vendor or per booth. Non-store retailers, or peddlers, would be assessed a fee of $50 daily and $75 weekly

Council president Corey Bowie said he researched other city’s prices for similar licenses before deciding on Selma’s prices.

“We had to look at other demographics like the typical size of events in Selma to determine prices,” Bowie said. “People should keep in mind that the prices we are putting in place are a lot lower than other cities our size. This is not an additional tax that we are trying to generate from anyone, we are simply trying to get what is due to us.”

Bowie said he looked at Alabaster, Montevallo, Prattville and Greenville to determine the prices. He avoided using numbers for Birmingham and Tuscaloosa to determine rates because of the size of the cities and scope of events held in the larger metropolitan areas.

Selma’s prices are indeed less than cities on the list. For example Alabaster charges $100 per day for special events. Birmingham charges significantly more. A peddler’s license in Birmingham can cost up to $180. An additional sales tax deposit of $300 may also be required, according to the city’s tax code.

The ordinance was tabled at Tuesday’s city council meeting with council members requesting more time to research prices. The ordinance could be voted on at the council’s first January meeting.