Commissioners to vote on increased building fees

0

Delaware County commissioners are expected to approve a measure to boost building compliance fees next week.

The proposed fee increases have received the blessing of the Building Industry Association, according to Commissioner Gary Merrell.

“We ran the code compliance increases by a number of other groups, the BIA being one of them, and I know they are one board with those increases,” he said. “It speaks well of the BIA and their desire to recognize that we need to cover our costs as it relates to compliance.”

The Delaware County Code Compliance Department has proposed an 8 percent increase in its fees this year and another increase of 10 percent in 2017. The fee increase would cover inspection services provided to both residential and commercial developments.

Fees in the department have not increased since 2005, and the code compliance has been operating at a deficit since. Commissioners have subsidized the department’s operations through the county general fund.

The department operated with a deficit of $232,000 last year. The operating deficit this year is expected to exceed $300,000.

Even with the proposed increase of 18 percent in fees through 2017, the department would still operate with a deficit of $95,000, based on projections.

County officials expect to re-evaluate the fees again in 2018.

Two proposals to increase fees, in 2007 and 2009, were not considered.

By Dustin Ensinger

[email protected]

Dustin Ensinger can be reached at 740-413-0902 or on Twitter @EnsingerDG.

No posts to display