Boone County officials criticize city plan to charge $210,000 building permit for courthouse expansion

Boone County staff informed the board on April 10 that the city plans to charge the county a $210,000 building permit for the courthouse expansion, a change from earlier correspondence in which the city had indicated it would not assess the county for the permit.

A county staff member said the city previously told the county in July it would not charge a permit fee, but that the city has since reversed course and is withholding the permit until the county pays the $210,000 fee. "At the current time the city is planning to charge us $210,000 for building permit for the courthouse. So we will we have to get that going and they have to pay that so that we can keep that project going because they're holding up that permit until we pay them," the staff member said.

Board members pushed back during discussion, calling the fee "obnoxious" and saying it amounts to taxing the same residents twice. Carl Johnson asked whether prior permits for the building had been charged; staff replied the original permits had a "no charge" notation. "No charge," a staff member confirmed when Johnson asked whether the county had paid building permit fees previously.

Board members discussed leverage and cooperation with the city and suggested reviving intergovernmental coordination to resolve the dispute. Several members said they planned to pursue negotiations with city officials; staff said they would continue to seek a reasonable resolution.

The matter was presented as information to the committee; staff will update the county board as discussions with city officials continue.