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Council seeks home-rule OK to raise birth and death certificate fees to $30
Summary
The council voted to request home-rule legislation to raise the city’s birth and death certificate fees from $10 to the $30 maximum set by state public health law; the measure will proceed as a home-rule request to the state Legislature.
The City Development Planning committee voted Monday to request home-rule legislation that would allow Schenectady to increase birth and death certificate fees from the current $10 to up to $30, the maximum rate set by New York State public health statute.
Councilmember Bryant told the committee that “Section 4173 of the Public Health Law” sets the maximum rate and that some New York cities already have special authorization to charge the higher amount. The council voted to send a home-rule request to the state to pursue the authorization; if the state grant is signed, the council would later adopt a local ordinance setting the new rate.
Council members said the city has not increased the fee in decades and that rising costs for storage and digitalization have outpaced the current charge. Staff did not provide an exact revenue estimate at the meeting; the clerk’s office was cited as the source of the briefing items and staff said more detailed revenue numbers are available in the budget line items.
The motion to move the home-rule request passed by voice vote during the committee meeting.
