Peoria council adopts fee updates, adds a $50 solid‑waste 'go‑back' fee and other modest charges

Peoria City Council on June 2 adopted a package of administrative and business fee updates as part of a triannual review of city fees intended to keep charges current with peer cities and cover service costs.

Peter Christensen, deputy director of Finance, said the city reviewed fees across multiple departments and proposed removing obsolete fees while adjusting others to the peer median. He described three new fees: a $10 notarized attestation of life (used infrequently, for foreign pension/beneficiary filings), a $750 annual massage establishment license (intended to fund enhanced background checks and inspections), and a $50 solid‑waste “go‑back” fee for after‑route pickup requests. Christensen estimated the go‑back fee could generate roughly $75,000 annually if current call volumes continue, and total new revenues across the changes would be on the order of $100–150k.

Council discussed the purpose of the go‑back fee — described by staff primarily as a deterrent to repeat after‑route requests and to recover a portion of the operational cost for rerouting collection vehicles — and asked staff to provide a later cost breakdown comparing the $50 charge to the estimated cost of a single go‑back service. After a brief discussion, council approved the ordinance and resolution on a unanimous vote (7-0); the fee changes are scheduled to take effect July 2.

What to expect: most fee updates are administrative and not revenue‑generating at scale; staff said the intent is cost recovery and modernizing fee schedules. Several fees being revised were last updated more than 20 years ago. Council asked staff to follow up with detailed cost analyses where new fees are expected to be sensitive for residents.

Key facts: ordinance 2026‑14 and resolution 2026‑88 adopted; go‑back fee $50 (solid waste); $750 annual massage‑establishment license; $10 notarized attestation of life; effective date July 2, 2026.