Prescott Valley holds public hearing on consolidated comprehensive fee schedule; staff to return June 26

Town staff opened a public hearing at the Prescott Valley Town Council meeting on June 12 to present a consolidated comprehensive fee schedule that combines municipal fees, development impact fees, and utility charges.

Morris, a town staff member leading the presentation, told the council the consolidated schedule was created to make fees transparent and to align fee updates with multiple Arizona Revised Statutes. “We really wanted to come up with a clear, concise schedule that both the residents and the businesses could refer to,” Morris said. She noted staff posted a 60‑day notice beginning in April and that the packet in the council materials follows a League of Arizona Cities and Towns recommended format for full transparency.

Morris summarized municipal fee collections as roughly $3.6 million in fees and charges—licenses and permits being the largest category—and noted user fees for utilities (water, wastewater, stormwater) total about $19 million. She said the town is not proposing changes to the five‑year rate plan for utilities adopted in 2023 but plans to revisit the rate study in fiscal year 2026. Proposed municipal changes highlighted in Morris’s presentation include a new short‑term license fee (the council will likely set a lower amount than the statutory maximum when the item returns), revisions to food vendor fees, clearer facility‑rental descriptions, and new fees for certain right‑of‑way permits, inspections, and plan reviews.

Morris said staff will incorporate council and public feedback and return a proposed final comprehensive fee schedule at the June 26 council meeting. The public hearing was opened and closed with no members of the public addressing the council on the fee schedule at the June 12 meeting.