Commissioners set public hearings on proposed building-permit fee schedule mirroring state rates

Richland County officials on Aug. 21, 2025 agreed to proceed with two public hearings on a proposed revision to the county's building-permit fee schedule. County building-code staff presented a proposal that largely mirrors Ohio's state fee schedule and said the county's fees have not been comprehensively updated since 2019 (with larger changes in 2017).

Steve Risser of the county building codes department summarized the department's budget and revenue pressures, including territory losses in 2022–23 that reduced workload and revenue. He told commissioners the proposed fee adjustments would reduce the department’s current deficit by about half but would not eliminate it. The changes are intended to better align permit revenue with operating costs while remaining mindful of economic development and competitiveness.

Under the county’s process described at the meeting, the board must hold two public hearings and publish notice before adopting a new fee schedule. The board approved a motion to proceed with scheduling two hearings and to publish required notices; commissioners also directed staff to arrange hearing dates with the county clerk. Staff indicated that fees would take effect 30 calendar days after formal adoption and would apply to new applications received on or after that date.

Staff also discussed potential permit-software purchases (a module in the county’s Munis system) to improve efficiency and customer service across multiple departments; that software is a separate budget consideration not approved at this meeting. The building department also noted it serves Crawford County on a commercial-only basis and that future budget and staffing changes may affect long-term revenues.