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In a simultaneous move to increase revenue to stave off a property tax increase and create a fairer fee schedule, Franklin County government is considering raising its planning and zoning permit costs.

Mayor Chris Guess said a new fee schedule will go before the Legislative Committee at its Nov. 21 meeting, and if approved at that level, will go before the County Commission on Dec. 4.

Guess said last week that comparisons have been made to what other counties charge for planning and zoning fees, and Franklin County has typically been charging less. He added that the goal is to increase the fees but keep them competitive to what other counties are charging.

Guess said the fees for residential building permits have been the same for a $200,000 home as they have been for one costing several million dollars. He added that the new fee schedule will be more fair because property owners with more-expensive homes in Franklin County have been paying way less for permits than they have in other counties.

At present, the building permit fee for a home valued up to $200,000 is $400 while permits for single family residential structures valued at more than $200,000 cost $600.

The proposed changes involve the permit fees for single family dwellings up to 1,000 square feet costing $250, then 45 cents per each additional square foot for air conditioned property and 22.5 cents for non-air-conditioned property.

Guess explained that air-conditioned residential buildings are more expensive because they involve more detail in their construction. He added that non-air-conditioned buildings tend to be outlying structures or storage facilities that are less expensive.

The fee schedule involves other similar increases for commercial and industrial buildings.

At present, a permit costs $400 for a commercial building up to 5,000 square feet and $800 for structures totaling more than 5,000 square feet.

With industrial buildings, the permit fee is $400 for structures up to 2,500 square feet, $600 for 2,501 to 5,000 square feet, $1,000 for 5,001 to 50,000 square feet, and $2,000 for larger than 50,000 square feet.

The new fee schedule simply calls for charging 75 cents per square foot for commercial and industrial buildings.

The difference in revenue the county would receive on a 50,000-square-foot industrial building permit would be $35,500 with the fee increasing from $2,000 to $37,500.

“In county government, we’re always looking for ways to divert property tax increases,” Guess said, adding that the county has had to deal with extreme inflation, and the building permit fee schedule has room to be adjusted to make it more fair and while also increasing revenue. “Everything costs more, and we needed to do something.”