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Lane County board sets fifth reading for land‑management fee ordinance after phased 7% increase proposal
Summary
The Lane County Board of Commissioners voted to tentatively approve an ordinance to phase in a 7% building‑program permit fee increase July 1 and set a fifth reading for May 13, 2025. Staff said fees currently cover only a portion of division costs and proposed the phased approach to stabilize the Land Management Division budget.
Lane County commissioners on April 29 voted to tentatively approve an ordinance that would phase in permit fee increases for the Land Management Division and scheduled a fifth reading of the ordinance for May 13, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
County land‑management staff told the board the division is running a structural deficit and proposed a phased, three‑year fee increase to improve long‑term funding stability. “the land management division is facing a large structural deficit with because permit fees have not kept pace with rising costs,” County staff member Mr. Miller said during the meeting.
The ordinance before the board (Ordinance 2504) would implement a first‑year 7% increase that takes effect July 1. Staff said the ordinance includes language to apply the Consumer Price Index on top of the 7% in years two and three and then reset to an annual CPI‑based adjustment thereafter. Commissioners discussed whether the board should delay automatic future steps to allow periodic review; staff said changing that behavior would require a revision to the ordinance.
Why it matters: Staff said permit revenue currently covers only a fraction of the division’s costs, forcing the program to rely on reserves for multiple years. Commissioners expressed competing priorities — some urged caution and a focus on operational efficiency first, while others said under‑resourcing creates inefficiencies and staff turnover that will worsen service without additional funding.
The board action: Commissioner Treggier moved to "tentatively approve ordinance 2 5 dash 0 4 and direct staff to return to the board for a fifth reading on 05/13/2025 with a 01:30PM time certain." Commissioner Buck seconded. The chair called for verbal ayes and recorded the motion as carried; staff noted this is a tentative approval to schedule the final fourth/fifth reading rather than adoption of the ordinance itself.
Clarifying details provided at the meeting: staff said permit counts are “steady and stable” but that permit revenue covers approximately 35% of the cost to deliver the program; the proposed schedule starts July 1 with a 7% increase in year one, with CPI applied in years two and three per ordinance language; the board set a time‑certain fifth reading for May 13, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.
Next steps: Because this was not final adoption of the ordinance, staff will return with the ordinance on May 13 for a final vote. The board asked staff to schedule a work session roughly one month before automatic future increases would take effect so commissioners can evaluate whether to proceed with later phases.
