Countywide : County May Levy Fee to Process Parcel Maps

In another attempt to recover the costs of providing some services, county officials have proposed charging $90 to process parcel maps at the treasurer-tax collector’s office.

The Board of Supervisors is to consider the plan at its Tuesday meeting.

Gary Cowan, assistant treasurer-tax collector, said Thursday that the fee would compensate the county for the time that workers spend evaluating the maps.

“It allows us to maintain our present level of a service,” he said.

Property owners are required by law to process their development plans through the tax collector, who is responsible for making sure that all taxes have been paid on the land. The law is designed to prevent buyers from selecting a home or business with back taxes due, Cowan said.

In the past year, the Board of Supervisors has increased fees on a variety of items, from landfill dumping and beach parking to camping reservations and library fines. The goal of the increases is to recover more of the costs associated with providing the services.