County planning staff to update land‑use and permitting fees to match CPI; board agrees to proceed to budget stage

County planning staff briefed the board on proposed adjustments to land‑use and current‑planning fees to align fee schedules with cumulative Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases since the last updates (2019). Staff said the objective is to move current‑planning functions further toward cost recovery, reducing their general‑fund draw.

Department presenters reviewed comparisons with peer counties (Pierce, Thurston, Clark) and with the cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley; planning fees remained competitive overall, staff said. For many land‑use actions, the combined increase (planning and associated building/public‑works components where applicable) equated to a mid‑20s percentage adjustment tied to CPI growth; building permit fees would see smaller per‑permit increases.

Staff recommended publishing proposed fee updates in mid‑December and implementing fees in January 2026 if the board proceeds. They emphasized that speed and performance in permit processing are factors developers watch more closely than pure fee levels, and they outlined work to provide performance metrics and dashboards to measure permit timelines and financials.

Commissioners indicated support for moving the proposed fee adjustments into the budget process and for staff to prepare formal publications and notice materials; no immediate resolution vote was taken at the briefing.

Ending

Staff will publish the proposed fee schedule for public notice and incorporate the adjustments into 2026 budget work. Staff and department leads will continue developing performance dashboards and time‑to‑decision metrics to monitor permit processing.