Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Government Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County reviews FY2026 fee schedule; county clerk raises concerns over proposed GIS recording fee increase
Summary
County staff reviewed proposed Fiscal Year 2026 fee schedule changes; key points included small increases across codes, a 5% environmental health inspection increase, and a proposed GIS recording fee increase the county clerk described as a nearly 50% rise that could raise customers' recording costs.
Deschutes County staff presented the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 fee schedule for review May 7, describing a routine annual process by which departments propose fee adjustments to reflect inflationary pressures, program costs, or changes in state/federal mandates.
Planning and Community Development staff flagged clerical corrections to the fee packet and a set of public hearings scheduled for May 20. Environmental health and public-health staff said the materials before the board include a proposed 5% increase in inspection fees to support environmental-health operations; staff noted that rising inspection caseloads require adjustments to ensure adequate staffing. The county's management analyst reviewed community-development fee line items and flagged page-numbering and comment-field errors for correction before the final packet.
County Clerk Steve Dennison told the board he was concerned about a proposed increase to the GIS/recording portion of the recording fee collected with recorded documents. Dennison said the recording-related fee has not been raised in many years and that the proposed $4 increase (from $6 to $10 as written in the materials he cited) would be a significant percentage increase that would fall on document filers, some of whom pay substantial overall recording fees. He urged the board to consider whether this program should be sustained from other sources in part, rather than relying on a one-time or per-document fee, and suggested the board consider a notation on the fee schedule describing the enactment authority and purpose of the recording fee so customers understand what the additional amount funds. Commissioners discussed providing a memo for staff to use when clerks counter staff explain increased fees when customers inquire.
Why it matters: Fee increases affect customers from development applicants to small-business owners and residents who record documents at the county clerk’s office. Staff said most changes are incremental; the environmental health inspection increase and the recording/GIS fee increase drew the most substantive remarks.
What’s next: The board scheduled a public hearing and formal action on the fee schedule for June 11. Staff will correct clerical issues in the packet and prepare explanatory materials for counters and public hearings, and the clerk will coordinate a fee explanation memorandum that can be used when customers ask about the recording fee.
