Title
Approve the Amendment of Article XIII of the Master Fee Resolution, effective July 1, 2025, to set and authorize the adjusted fees for the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the Amendment of Article XIII of the Master Fee Resolution, effective July 1, 2025, to set and authorize the adjusted fees for the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Section 1.40.010 of Chapter 1.40 of the Monterey County Code provides that all fees, penalties, refunds, reimbursements and charges of any kind by the County may be specified in the Monterey County Fee Resolution. Government Code 54985 specifies that amendments to this article require approval from the Board of Supervisors.
Government Code Section 54985 (a) and Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 408-409 allow for the local collection of fees for Assessment Services providing that the amounts are reasonably necessary to recover and do not exceed the cost of providing these services. The Assessor’s Office is requesting that the fees for their services be adjusted to recover a portion of the associated costs and to more closely reflect current market rates.
The Assessor’s Office has conducted a Fee Study to determine a fully loaded Cost Per Minute Rate for the positions directly responsible for performing services. Transactions were broken into tasks and subtasks with time estimates provided and evaluated to generate a sum total for the time spent on an average transaction. Research was also conducted to compare the Fee Schedules of other California counties to ensure comparable parity with the fees proposed herein, while not exceeding the actual local cost of the services. This information was then used to establish the fees set forth in the recommended action.
The Williamson Act, also known as the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, a statewide program enacted in the County of Monterey in 1968. The program allows property owners and county or cities ...
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