Fees for some St. Louis County services will go up in 2007.
The St. Louis County Board of Commissioners, meeting in Duluth on Tuesday, approved a 2007 fee schedule calling for a 4.2 percent increase for some county services.
County residents who have their driveways snowplowed by the county will see the largest hikes, from 30 percent to 34 percent higher than in 2006.
"As distasteful as it is, [Public Works director Marcus Hall] felt it's what is needed to cash flow," Commissioner Mike Forsman of Ely said. "It will pay for itself."
Rising fuel costs are behind the higher snowplowing charges, Forsman said.
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Residents with driveways a quarter-mile or shorter would see the annual snowplowing fee go to $195 in 2007, compared to $145 this year.
Residents whose driveways are between a half-mile and three-quarters mile long would be charged $265 next year, compared to $200 in 2006.
Similar rate hikes apply to longer driveways and to plowing for road associations.
The increases are part of an overall county effort to recover the costs of services rendered, said Gary Eckenberg, St. Louis County deputy administrator,
Fees for some assessor's office services will increase5 percent; auditor's office, public health and human services, planning department and Chris Jensen nursing home laundry services will rise by4 percent.
Commissioner Steve O'Neil proposed raising the cigarette licensing fee to $145 from $100 and raising liquor license fees by 4 percent.
But the liquor measure couldn't be considered because a state statute requires a 30-day notice, said Commissioner Keith Nelson of Fayal Township.
The cigarette measure will be moved backed two weeks.
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Some county liquor license fees haven't been increased since 1967. Since 2000, the cigarette license fee has been $100.
"I'm simply saying that if it costs us more in all these other areas, it must cost us more in this area also," O'Neil said. "It would be reasonable since we've raised other fees that we raise this one for the cost of living."
Other board members said a county liquor committee had examined the issue and found liquor and cigarette license fees to be in line with what neighboring counties are charging.
"It makes no sense to me," Nelson said. "What I resent is that we have a liquor committee and for someone to propose this at the 11th hour, at the 59th minute. Should we try Prohibition again? [Problem drinking is] a social problem that we spend a lot of money on, but you can't collect enough money to deal with the problem. Until you get at the root of the problem, you are not going to solve the problem.''
