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Council approves $25 passport‑photo fee at city clerk’s office
Summary
The Nampa City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the city clerk to charge $25 for passport photos at City Hall, citing convenience to residents and a desire not to undercut local businesses. The fee will take effect immediately upon the mayor’s signature.
The Nampa City Council on Monday approved a new $25 fee for passport photographs taken at City Hall, a service the city clerk’s office will offer as a convenience to residents who submit passport applications there.
City Clerk Shar Tam told the council the clerk’s office currently processes roughly 4,000 new passport applications a year and performs courtesy reviews for more than 600 renewals. Staff said a new passport‑photo service would offset the cost of equipment and supplies and reduce returned or rejected photos that delay applications. Tam said she selected $25 to avoid competing with local retail businesses while still covering costs; commercial providers in the region charge between about $16 and $25.
Why it matters: The clerk’s office said it will continue to permit walk‑ins and appointments for passport processing, and that passport‑photo revenue would be treated as a convenience fee rather than a new general revenue stream. The council approved the resolution and authorized the mayor to sign; the service may begin immediately after the resolution is signed.
Council discussion and public comment: Councilmembers asked about staffing and whether the fee level would sustain the service without adding personnel. Tam said the passport office already handles high volume and would not add full‑time staff for the photos. A resident who had recently needed a passport spoke in favor of adding on‑site photos to reduce appointment friction.
Ending: With the approval, the clerk’s office will add the photo service; staff said they will notify the public of availability and continue to monitor demand and costs.
