Every gas, electricity, water or telephone company and every corporation,
company, association, joint stock company or association, partnership
and person, their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed by any
court whatsoever, owning, operating, managing, leasing or controlling
a gas, electricity, water or telephone plant or system for the manufacture,
distribution, sale or furnishing of gas (natural or manufactured),
electricity, water or telephone service, shall, in addition to all
other taxes, payments or requirements now or hereinafter required
by law or City ordinance, pay to the City as a license fee a sum equal
to five percent (5%) of the licensee's gross receipts from the
sale of gas, electricity, water or telephone service sold for domestic,
commercial and industrial purposes within the limits of the City under
the licensee's applicable rate schedules on file with and approved
by the Public Service Commission of Missouri. Provided, however, said
gross receipts shall not include any receipts collected by the utility
pursuant to the City's sales tax nor any receipts collected pursuant
to this Chapter. This licensee shall, no later than February 1 and
August 1, respectively, of each year make a report to the Governing
Body of the City of its said gross receipts for the six-month period
preceding December 31 and June 30, respectively, and at the time of
making such reports shall pay into the City Treasury the aforesaid
license fee based upon the gross receipts so reported. The acceptance
of such fees shall not prejudice the right of the City to collect
any additional fee thereafter found to be due upon its gross receipts
for any period by reason of its inability to determine accurately
the amount properly due. The licensee shall be entitled following
a determination of the overpayment to deduct such overpayment and
receive a credit therefor against the amount of license fee due for
the next succeeding period or periods following the determination
of the overpayment. The City, by its duly authorized representatives,
shall have the right, at all reasonable times during business hours,
to make such examinations and inspections of the books of such licensee
as may be necessary to determine the correctness of such reports.
The City shall have the right, at its own expense, to employ the same
accountants who make the annual audit of the books, records and accounts
of the business of the licensee, to audit, at the same time, the licensee's
accounts and records and certify as to the correctness of any payments
due and payable by the licensee to the City. The City may at its option
employ independent accountants to inspect the books, records and accounts
of the licensee.