Harney County court adopts uniform fee schedule ordinance, to take effect Jan. 15, 2026

Harney County Court voted Oct. 15 to adopt Ordinance 2025-01, establishing a uniform fee schedule for various county departments that will take effect Jan. 15, 2026.

The ordinance, adopted by voice vote, updates the county's fee tables (appendices A, B and C) and states the changes are enacted pursuant to authority cited in the text of the ordinance, including several Oregon Revised Statutes referenced at the reading.

County officials told the court fee increases were prompted in part by state-mandated costs and by a long interval since some local fees were last adjusted. "It had actually been 20 plus years that the fees hadn't been increased," Building Inspector Rick Stauffer said during deliberations, adding that permit volume and service speed have increased.

Supporters of the ordinance said faster plan reviews and inspections justify the adjustments. "We're providing quicker service, quicker turnarounds on plan reviews, helping contractors and homeowners get their projects done quicker," Stauffer said. Commissioners and staff said data compiled for the building department shows an increase in permits issued per month compared with prior years, and they plan to continue tracking metrics.

The court discussed which fees are required by state law and which reflect local cost of doing business. One commissioner said some state-mandated fees leave the county little choice; others are intended to cover staff salaries, materials and supplies for county-run programs.

County staff also explained that certain programs—building and environmental services—are intended to operate as enterprise or program-specific funds, reducing pressure on the general fund if their fees cover program costs.

The second reading of the ordinance was presented by title; the court confirmed required public notices (publication in a newspaper of general circulation and postings at the courthouse and two public locations). The ordinance text provided an effective date of Jan. 15, 2026 for enactment of the new schedule.

The court unanimously approved the ordinance by voice vote.

County staff said they will continue to provide fee metrics to the court and proposed future fee adjustments tied to objective measures such as the Consumer Price Index. They also said the fee schedule is available on the county website.

Looking ahead, commissioners asked staff to keep producing permit and valuation metrics to justify fee levels and to ensure the county continues to meet turnaround-time goals cited during the discussion.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance 2025-01 (uniform fee schedule) — approved by court voice vote; effective date Jan. 15, 2026.