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Eagle Pass council updates building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-fee schedules; all measures approved unanimously
Summary
The Eagle Pass City Council approved a package of ordinances updating permit and inspection fees across several departments and adopted a fire-fee schedule that includes mitigation billing policy. Council approved each item unanimously during its March 4, 2025 meeting.
Eagle Pass City Council unanimously approved a package of fee and ordinance updates on March 4, 2025, changing building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-inspection fee schedules and adopting related administrative language.
The measures — presented by city staff — revise fee tables and formats to standardize valuations, adopt updated plan-review fees, change residential valuation methodology, and establish or raise several base permit and reinspection fees. Council also approved a new fire department fee schedule and mitigation billing framework intended to recover costs for large incidents.
City staff said the changes are intended to make fees more transparent, reflect the International Code Council valuation tables for construction valuation, and better cover departmental costs after long periods without updates. "The base permit fee ... we're basically just making a flat 30," city staff member Placido Madera said while describing formatting and rate changes. He also told council the city is two code cycles behind and that staff plans to recommend adoption of the 2024 International Codes in a future action.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance amending Chapter 8, Article 2, Section 8-18 (building permit fees): approved (motion by Mayor Pro Tem Davis; second Councilman Diaz; vote: unanimous). - Ordinance amending Chapter 8, Article 9, Section 8-53 and Chapter 8, Article 2, Section 8-16 (mechanical permit fees): approved (motion by Councilman Diaz; second Councilman Garcia; vote: unanimous). - Ordinance amending Chapter 12, Article 5, Section 12-116 (electrical permit and inspection fees): approved (motion by Councilman Garcia; second Mayor Pro Tem Davis; vote: unanimous). The ordinance included an amendment to add a $100 solar permit fee. - Ordinance amending Chapter 13, Sections 13-14 and 13-15 (fire services fee schedule and mitigation fees): approved with stipulation (motion by Mayor Pro Tem Davis; second Councilman Garcia; vote: unanimous). - Ordinance amending Chapter 21, Article 1 (plumbing permit and inspection fees) and adding Section 21-4 (new plumbing items): approved (motion by Councilman Diaz; second Councilman Garcia; vote: unanimous).
Council discussion focused on fairness and operational impacts: members raised concerns about reinspections and inspector consistency; staff told council that two inspectors had recently resigned and that training and consistency measures were underway. Madera said comparisons to neighboring cities (Del Rio, Laredo, McAllen) showed Eagle Pass remains generally in the same range even after some increases.
The ordinances include standard severability and publication language and declare effective dates in their texts. Council approved the consent agenda (items 1–11) at the start of the meeting before taking up the fee ordinances.
Ending: Staff said they would return with additional related items — including a future recommendation to adopt updated International Codes and a potential irrigation-permit proposal — and continue working on inspector training and permit-process checklists.
