There is hereby levied an annual inspection fee and
service charge upon each and every person, firm and corporation operating
a telephone exchange in the City, in an amount equal to 3% of the
gross revenue for each current year for exchange telephone transmission
service rendered wholly within the limits of the City, to compensate
the City for the expense incurred and services rendered incident to
the exercise of its police power, supervision, police regulation and
police control of the construction of telephone lines and equipment
in the City. Such inspection fee and charge shall be due and payable
to the City on or before the first day of June of each year, and shall
be paid into and appropriated and extended from the general revenue
fund of the City.
During continued substantial compliance with the terms
of this section, by the owner of any telephone exchange, the charge
levied hereby shall be and continue to be in lieu of all concessions,
charges, excise, franchise, license, privilege and permit fees or
taxes or assessments, except ad valorem taxes; provided, however,
that it is not intended hereby to extinguish or abrogate any existing
arrangement whereby the City is permitted to use underground conduit,
duct space or pole contacts of the telephone company for the fire
alarm and police call systems of the City.