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3 <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Orange County Commissioners <br /> John Link, County Manager <br /> FROM: Rod Visser,Assistant County Manager <br /> Ken Chavious, Finance Director <br /> DATE: May 9, 1996 <br /> RE: Orange County Fees <br /> Beginning in February, staff undertook a review of all fees charged by Orange County for <br /> various services. Our starting point was to ascertain from each department what fees they <br /> currently administer, how each fee is established or regulated, when the fee was last <br /> reviewed or updated, and whether they had suggestions for new fees that should be <br /> considered as possible revenue sources to help offset the cost of operations. Given our <br /> time and staff constraints,we decided to focus our efforts on those fees that had not been <br /> reviewed for some time; presented significant potential for additional revenue; and/or <br /> presented important policy questions to be resolved. <br /> This report is laid out in sections that provide brief descriptions of the staff review of <br /> each department's fees, in the order that those fees are presented in the accompanying <br /> Orange County fee schedule. In many cases,we propose that the current fees be <br /> continued,based on discussions with the respective department heads who feel that the <br /> current fee structure is appropriate and working well. On the other hand,there are many <br /> other fees which we propose be modified for implementation in 1996-97. Suggested <br /> changes to the current fee schedule are discussed in the appropriate departmental sections. <br /> Staffs objectives in preparing this report were to produce a comprehensive list of all <br /> Orange County fees; to propose changes to the current fee schedule based on our analysis <br /> and work with departments that administer these fees;to afford the Board of <br /> Commissioners the opportunity to identify those fees about which they would like more <br /> information or further analysis performed; and to propose a fee schedule which would be <br /> part of the basis for the Manager's Recommended 1996-97 Budget. We suggest that a <br /> comprehensive fee schedule for 1996-97 be adopted at the same time that the Board <br /> adopts the 1996-97 budget ordinance. Staff can accomplish additional work, as needed, <br /> on the proposed fee schedule and report back to the Board during the budget work <br /> sessions in June. We also plan to use the comprehensive fee schedule that we have <br /> prepared as the basis for an annual review of fees during the budget development process <br /> each year. <br />