Consultant offers cost-based fee study; Stonecrest council to weigh competitiveness and equity
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Summary
Matrix Consulting presented a comprehensive user‑fee study recommending cost‑based fees across nearly 300 line items; councilors pressed staff to balance cost recovery with competitiveness, protect youth and low-income users, and pursue staged implementation with public engagement.
Matrix Consulting presented Stonecrest’s comprehensive user‑fee study at the Nov. 10 council meeting, showing how fully‑loaded staff time and overhead produce cost‑based ceiling figures for nearly 300 fee line items.
"We're really setting fees at the cost of the service," the consultant said during the presentation, explaining the methodology: multiply time‑on‑task by fully burdened staff rates and add allocations for supplies, vehicles and citywide overhead.
The consultant and staff emphasized that the study produces recommended — not final — fees. Council members repeatedly raised two themes: competitiveness with nearby cities (Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Alpharetta, Smyrna and Marietta) and the fiscal impact of raising fees where the city currently subsidizes services. Mayor Pro Tem noted, "Of the $16,000,000 budget, only 2,000,000 comes from real and personal property tax," urging caution because Stonecrest lacks broader tax revenue to absorb large cost gaps.
Specific questions focused on a recently codified temporary certificate of occupancy (added after the consultant gathered data), and a recommended large increase for swimming‑pool construction permits, which the consultant said derives from plan review and inspection time assumptions.
Staff told council it will return with department‑level recommendations and suggested a 60–90 day internal review followed by the 45‑day public notice required for ordinance changes. Councilmembers asked for more community outreach and suggested small virtual sessions so the consultant can answer detailed questions without incurring excessive billable hours.
Next steps: staff will consolidate departmental recommendations and bring fee proposals for formal review and public posting before council adoption.
