The cost of building a typical Lane County home will go up by about $820 when new building fees go into effect in September.
Before Tuesday’s unanimous vote, Commissioner Pat Farr said he understood the frustrations the increase would cause, but said the county needs to be fiscally responsible.
"There are the numbers that the Homebuilders Association used to provide that every percentage cost increase of housing increases people losing housing,” he said. “We have to take that very seriously and I believe that for this ordinance as we move forward with it, we have taken it very seriously."
Lane County staff said the increase will address the growing gap between what it currently charges and the cost of providing land use, code enforcement and inspections services. What commissioners approved is part of a phased approach in hopes of closing that deficit.
The Land Management Division does not receive support from the county’s general fund and has received lottery funds and federal COVID relief dollars to balance its budget in the past.
Base fees for most permit types will increase by about 9.5%. The changes, which were unanimous, will take effect on Sept. 1.
With the higher fees, Lane County will charge more, on average, than some Oregon counties including Clackamas, Jackson and Marion. Its fees will be less than Deschutes and Washington Counties, according to a county analysis.
Commissioners David Loveall and Ryan Ceniga asked county staff to work to further improve customer service at the Land Management Division.
Staff have made progress over the last several years reducing wait times, but Loveall said workers should be doing everything they can to ensure the office is user-friendly.
“I think that would go a long way to just helping people understand the difficulties of land management, the cost, and the amount of detail it takes to navigate them to a decision,” Loveall said.
