Gary committee reviews broad city fee-schedule changes; ordinance set for April 1

City of Gary Ways and Means Committee members on March 20 reviewed CPO 2025-13, an ordinance to amend the city’s fee-schedule ordinance (No. 9377) and proposed fee changes across multiple departments, and were told the measure will be placed on the City Council agenda for April 1.

The proposal would raise or establish a range of fees — from contractor licensing and seasonal food permits to police recordings and towing releases — and add administrative charges in the health and parks programs. Committee members pressed staff for clarifications on several items, most notably parking rates tied to a planned ParkMobile payment system, and asked staff to return with corrected language and supporting ordinance changes before final council consideration.

The most prominent finance proposals include increases to contractor licensing and renewal fees and higher late fees. Finance staff told the committee the contractor initial license fee would increase from $120 to $150 and renewals from $70 to $100; late fees for contractor and general business licenses would move to a flat $50 (regardless of how long after the deadline), and certain inspection fees would rise (for example, an inspection fee listed as increasing from $50 to $75). Seasonal food-permit fees are proposed to increase from $150 to $250, with temporary food permits rising from $50 to $100. The city would begin charging $5 to reprint W-2s where none was charged previously.

Health department changes proposed by Veronica Collins, Executive Director of the Gary Health…