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Grayson County planning commission recommends higher fees for permits, notices and appeals
Summary
The commission voted June 16 to raise multiple application and hearing fees — including zoning permits, text/map amendments, special-use permits, variances, appeals and subdivision fees — and will forward the updated fee schedule and fee-structure recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.
At its June 16 meeting the Grayson County Planning Commission approved a package of fee adjustments and structure changes and will forward the recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for final adoption.
Staff presented a comparison of neighboring localities and a breakdown of staff time, advertising and mailing costs. Commissioners approved raising several fees to better recover administrative and advertising costs and to reduce use of the county general fund to pay for public-notice and processing expenses.
Key actions taken by the commission include:
- Zoning permits: increased from $15 to $35.
- Text amendments: raised from $55 plus certified letter to $250 plus advertising and mailing costs. Staff noted an affidavit process approved by the county attorney can allow regular mail with a notarized affidavit in some cases, reducing certified-mail workload.
- Map amendments (rezoning): raised to $250 plus advertising and mailing costs (consistent with the text amendment change).
- Special-use permits and variances: both set at $250 plus advertising and mailing costs after motions and votes.
- Appeals: filing fee increased from $100 to $250, reflecting the potential for significant legal review and county legal expenses if appeals proceed to court.
- Subdivision reviews: the commission exempted single-lot/family divisions and family boundary adjustments from fees; it approved a class-two subdivision fee of $75 plus $10 per lot (fewer than 15 lots) and a class-one subdivision fee of $250 plus $25 per lot (15 or more lots). The commission discussed administrative workload and whether fees should aim to recover staff time or discourage filings.
Commissioners said the changes reflect a desire to avoid charging county taxpayers for advertising and legal notices associated with private development requests. The commission voted on each item individually; the approved package will be packaged with related ordinance amendments and submitted to the Board of Supervisors for review and possible adoption.
Several commissioners noted the commission has not updated fees since 2014 and that the increases aim to better align user fees with processing costs and neighboring localities.
