Davis County clerk and recorder propose modest fee increases and new review charge; officials project $50,000 in additional revenue

County staff asked commissioners to approve a joint update to fees in the clerk and recorder offices at the Nov. 25 meeting.

Bridal McKenzie, identified in the meeting as the county clerk, summarized the clerk's portion of the proposal: "we are proposing a $5 increase to our marriage license fee that includes the cost of getting the license as well as the certified copies when a couple comes in and gets married." She said the county would discontinue the standard (noncertified) marriage license copy because most people prefer certified copies, and the clerk's office also proposed a $5 increase to the passport photo fee.

Dakota, deputy director in the recorder's office, described revisions intended to improve cost recovery, noting the last fee schedule update was in 2015. Dakota said the office would introduce modest per-copy charges that scale by size, distinguish copies taken from older vault documents from digitized records because of handling and degradation, and add a preliminary-plat pre-submittal review fee to account for cadastral mappers' time.

County staff estimated the combined changes would generate roughly $50,000 in additional revenue next year. Commissioners asked questions, then moved and approved the fee changes by voice vote.

What happens next: staff will incorporate the amended fees into the county fee schedule and prepare for implementation early next year; recording-office items such as the preliminary plat review were described as likely to roll out in the early stages of the coming year.