It has been far more than 17 years since some of Corning’s city fees have been adjusted. That may change.
On Dec. 13 the City Council was presented with an overview of a comprehensive user fee study by Eric Johnson of Revenue and Cost Specialist.
Johnson’s presentation showed fee adjustments to 101 different fee services, sharing the current user fee costs and proposed fees.
“I agree that some fees need to adjusted,” said Mayor Robert Snow, “but some are tricky. We are trying to attract businesses the community and any added cost could make that difficult.”
However, Johnson said studies have shown city fees don’t “move decisions too much as to whether to develop or build in a community.”
Available on the City’s website, https://www.corning.org, the study states, “Based on data presented in this report, the City Council can better respond to the limits on tax revenues available to the City as well as the constant demand for higher and more operational services and capital improvements.”
Johnson said due to demands made of the City, it is essential that the council and city management have additional information upon which to assist in charting a future financial course that will preserve the quality of life which its citizens have come to expect.
Examples of the current versus proposed user fees presented in the study are as follows – Conditional Use Permit/Major current $500, proposed $7,185; Developer Agreement current none, proposed $5,000 deposit with charges at the fully allocated hourly rates for all personnel involved plus any outside costs; and Lot Merger current $350, proposed $2,605.
There are some areas where the city currently charges no fees, such as Tentative Map Amendment, wherein the study recommends the city charge a fee of $1,500 for the service.
Johnson said the city needs to always consider the time required of staff to conduct such services and apply those costs to its fee system.
“This analysis was designed to provide the City with a systematic and documented approach to understand, control, and recapture the costs which are forced on it by normal service demands, growth and general economic inflation,” the study states.
According to Johnson, if all the recommendations and suggestions made in the report are adopted, the City would increase cost recovery by approximately $175,750 on an annual basis.
“By taking such actions, far more equity between taxpayers and fee-payers would be gained, and the City’s financial picture would be improved,” he added.
By consensus, the city council directed Miller to compare the city’s user fees with other nearby, comparable cities and to present feedback for consideration at the Jan. 24 city council meeting.
Miller asked that each member of the city council individually email her by Jan. 13 with their ideas and suggestions as to the study proposals in preparation for the Jan. 24 meeting.
