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Columbus building department seeks fee increases, raises taxi‑meter rate
Summary
Building & Zoning Services proposed a targeted fee-schedule overhaul to increase revenue about 20%—raising the permit cap from $100,000 to $500,000 and adjusting the square‑foot multiplier—while the city also moved to raise taxicab meter steps modestly after a decade without change.
City Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Building Committee heard a presentation from the Department of Building and Zoning Services on proposed updates to the department’s fee schedule that would raise revenue by roughly 20 percent and change how large projects are charged.
Deputy Director Tony Salabresi said the department is self‑funded through permit and zoning fees and that recent volatility in construction and smaller average project sizes have left the current fee structure unsustainable. “We are gonna need to increase fees on select areas throughout the fee schedule,” Salabresi said.
Assistant Director Festus Manley Spain outlined the staff proposal: increase the department’s existing cap on building fees from $100,000 to $500,000, raise the square‑footage multiplier (the slide described a move from $5 per 10 gross square feet to $6), and apply standard permit fee increases targeted at larger commercial and multifamily projects rather than small residential work. Festus Manley Spain said the changes are intended to keep the department’s fees within the typical industry benchmark (roughly 0.5–1 percent of construction cost) while avoiding measures that would dissuade small contractors from obtaining permits.
Council members pressed staff to clarify whether increases would fall on single‑family or small multifamily projects; Salabresi said most smaller residential fees are not being raised and the focus will be on larger projects where the department’s fee is a smaller share of total cost. He said roughly 80 percent of the department’s costs are staffing and that additional revenue would go toward maintaining staff levels and investing in technology and project‑management capacity to improve review efficiency.
In a related change, the department asked the committee to approve a modest increase in taxicab meter charges. Staff said taxi operators requested the first adjustment to meter steps in 10 years: the per‑2/9ths‑mile increment currently at $0.45 would increase to $0.50, which staff estimated equates to roughly a $0.22–$0.25 per‑mile rise. Staff characterized the change as modest and said city taxi rates would remain broadly competitive with ride‑hail services.
The committee did not vote on legislation at the hearing. Staff said more detailed fee tables and ordinance language will be provided as the proposal is finalized and that the department will continue stakeholder outreach.
What’s next: Building & Zoning Services will publish detailed fee tables and proposed ordinance language; the committee will schedule further review and public comment before any final vote.
