County officials ask Belvidere to waive $211,000 in permit fees; mayor says he lacks authority

Tom Wahlberg, who identified himself as representing the Boone County Board and as chair of the county finance committee, read a letter from Boone County Board Chairman Carl Johnson asking the city to place a request to waive building permit fees on a May 12 committee agenda. Wahlberg said the county faces about $211,000 in permit charges tied to courthouse renovation, administration building work and a planned transit facility, and said county officials want the city to consider waiving the fees because the projects serve county and city residents alike.

Alyssa Patterson, a member of the Boone County Board, told the council the county seeks partnership and urged the city to waive the permit fees so county and city taxpayers are not double-charged for public projects. Patterson said the projects support services used by both jurisdictions and described the request as an act of intergovernmental cooperation.

Mayor Clinton Morris responded that he does not have the legal authority to waive the $211,000 in fees, said he had not been contacted formally in the way described in media reports, and disputed statements he said were published about his role. The mayor criticized a county official and local commentators for airing the matter publicly before discussing it with city officials; he also referred to a prior instance in 2009 when fees were waived and said that practice was improper. Alderman John Albertini reiterated that, as mayor, his expenditure limit is $15,000 and that any waiver of much larger sums would exceed his authority.

The council did not take formal action on the county request during the meeting; Wahlberg asked that the matter be put on the May 12 committee agenda for further consideration.