After a brief discussion between board members and county staffers, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to postpone action on another fee increase proposal made by the Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office. The issue will come up again on Jan. 27.
The Clerk-Recorder’s Office is recommending that fees charged by the county for copies of official documents—such as birth certificates, property title documents, marriage licenses, and construction permits—be adjusted to compensate for retirement, salary, and cost-of-
living increases for county employees.
If approved, the new proposal would also increase fees charged for paper copies, but lower the cost of digital copies. For example, the new proposal would increase the fee for first-page copies of certain documents to $6, as opposed to the current $2 to $4 price tag. The increase would generate an estimated $169,000 more each year.
According to a letter submitted by Clerk-Recorder Joe Holland to the Board of Supervisors, clerk-recorder fees were last updated about five years ago. Since then, Holland said in the letter, operating costs have gone up significantly, creating discrepancies between the cost of providing a service and the fee charged for it.
During the public comment period, speakers suggested that fee increases become a greater part of the overall budgetary process.
Don Ricketts, an attorney for California Public Records Research, also suggested that the county look into getting greater profit margins from title companies that request digital copies of official records. The county currently charges about $350 for a month’s worth of CDs. The new proposal would lower that fee to about $65.
The discrepancy between charging larger companies and individuals for copies led 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray to ask that the Clerk-Recorder’s Office come back to the board with a more in-depth presentation on the fee changes.
“I don’t want an answer today,” she said. “We’re not ready to answer this today.”
This article appears in Jan 15-22, 2009.