The owner of the only food truck in Port Hawkesbury, N.S., says he's unhappy with a new town bylaw that will increase his permit fees more than sixfold.

"It's so disproportionate to anything else. It's wrong," said Kenny Shasky, the owner-operator of Capt'n Kenny's Fresh fish and chips truck.

Shasky operates during the summer months in the parking lot of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Reeves Street, across from the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.

Fee changes

The town charges a $300 annual permit fee for food trucks. However, council voted on Tuesday night to increase that fee to $1,500 for six months, or $2,000 a year.

Shasky lives in Richmond County and says since he only stops in Port Hawkesbury about 50 or 60 days out of the year, that fee is out of line with what he would pay in other areas. He thinks it doesn't provide an incentive for small businesses.

Richmond County doesn't have a food truck permit fee, while Halifax has an annual fee of $915.

Shasky's food truck has been in operation for three years.

He says he makes other stops in Port Hastings and Arichat, but comes to Port Hawkesbury because customers asked him to.

Shasky says it isn't necessary for his business to stop in the town, but he feels strongly about remaining in Port Hawkesbury because he likes the people there.

"Only because I've got a lot of friends. I've got people who are repeat, loyal patrons, who come and come, and they like my food. We talk, and it's a great little community and they're wonderful people," he said.

Level playing field

Coun. Joe Janega, who is on a four-member committee that examined the food truck issue, disagrees the fee is harmful to small business. Rather, he says it's about making sure all businesses pay for a share of municipal services.

"All we want to do is keep everybody on the same playing field, on the same equal amounts," he said. "When Ken's chip truck pulls into that parking lot, the Town of Port Hawkesbury still has to plow the streets, we have to supply water and sewer, we have to keep the sidewalks clean to the best of our ability, we have to pick up the garbage."

Janega said in the past the town has hosted roving car or furniture dealers, who rented space for as little as a weekend and left town after making a lot of sales. Janega said he felt that was unfair on the brick-and-mortar businesses that pay taxes in the town.

"It's a means of making a fair deal between the people who are paying high taxes, and the people that want to come in," he said.

Small revenue stream

Shasky hopes the new council elected on Oct. 15 will revisit the issue. He's starting a petition to present to the town.

"I'm the only guy. What kind of a revenue stream do you think that town is going to derive from just one guy? It becomes restrictive," he said.

He says his food truck does good business, but he doesn't think he's taking customers from existing restaurants.

"For me personally, it's a witch hunt. It's because I'm popular and they feel threatened by it," said Shasky.

"I understand business is hard enough for everybody," he said. "Small towns are dying. And when you put up protectionist barriers like this, this is wrong. No one will stay here, no one's going to come."

Damian Welsh, a patron of the Capt'n Kenny's truck, says he's upset about the prospect of a fee hike.

"It's not just him. It's everyone else, it's any other vendor or yard sale or this and that. I just think it's a little skewed what the proposed bill is," he said.

Welsh said he believes all businesses should pay fees to operate, but thinks the fee increase is too high and it would be unfortunate if the truck left Port Hawkesbury for good.