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County raises building permit fees First increase since 1974 ends practice of using general fund By Dani Dodge Jackson County residents will pay a little more for every new house they build, now that the commissioners have increased building fees about 22 percent. The idea is to let the people who use the county�s building department services pay for the services. "No longer will citizens of our county be supporting this service through the general fund," said county building official Dale Bohannan. Jackson County commissioners Wednesday raised fees for building permits in the county�s unincorporated areas. It is the first increase since 1974. For a $150,000 house, the previous building fees � which include fees for building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits � would have come to $1,389. Now, they will be $1,690. The change was prompted by state legislation. Senate Bill 587 requires building departments to provide timely service, and in return they can charge enough to cover their costs. In the past, the county�s building department was partially subsidized out of the county�s general fund � some of which comes property taxes. Now, it will be funded 100 percent by fees. Those fees will be dedicated to the building fund and will not be used for other purposes. The building department also cannot make a profit from the fees. The state bill was sponsored and supported by people in the building industry, including local builders, Bohannan said. The only people who spoke at the public hearing Wednesday, though, were two citizens concerned about the increases. "I want to ask what motivation there is to keep costs down?" said Walt Fitzgerald, a citizen and county government watchdog. "There�s no upper limit here." Another county resident said she was concerned that the costs would simply be passed onto the home buyers. Commissioner Sue Kupillas said public scrutiny and county audits are ways to ensure the building costs don�t get out of hand. She emphasized that the building department cannot make a profit from the fees. Kupillas called raising fees "a little agonizing," but also recognized the necessity in this case. "The (builders) are in essence willing to tax themselves to get the job done in a timely fashion," she said. Commissioner Jack Walker said he wants the building department to review its inspection schedule. Currently, the building department does about 14 inspections for every house built. Walker suggested that number could be cut down and, in turn, costs lowered. But Walker said he understood that "builders don�t mind paying the actual cost because they want the quicker service." "Delays cost more to buildings and individuals than increases in fees," he said. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA