Tue Feb 09 2010
By TODD HELBERG
Defiance County commissioners held a public hearing on a proposed fee increase on real estate transactions during their Monday meeting.
Commissioners also opened bids on the proposed courthouse annex renovation (see related story on page A1.)
Commissioners are considering an increase in conveyance fees for real estate and manufactured home transactions.
The amount would go from 20 cents per $100 to 30 cents per $100.
Commissioner James Harris Jr. said the increase would generate approximately $70,000 additional annually.
He said state law provides a maximum of 30 cents per $100.
The last time the fee was raised was 1986, Harris explained, when it went from 10 cents to 20 cents.
"We are one of the last counties in northwest Ohio at 20 cents," he said. "We looked into this as a source of increasing revenues with revenues being down like they are."
According to commissioners, fees have dropped by $144,000 this year.
Harris said the reason is "just a lack of transactions of different things.""
No one attended Monday's public hearing, commissioners said. A second hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday in the commissioners office at 500 Court St.
Harris said a decision about enacting the fee increase will be made following that hearing.
In other business, commissioners:
-- received Engineer Warren Schlatter's update. He said Ridenour Road, south of Defiance-Williams County Line Road, is closed while a bridge is being replaced with twin culverts.
-- awarded a lease to Nathan Guilford to farm 281.7 acres of county-owned land around Evergreen Lane Office Complex on Evansport Road. The amount is $42,818.40.
-- met with environmental services director Tim Houck for his October report. He reported that income dropped from $264,739.86 in October 2008 to $219,807.94. Waste collection also dropped from 29,159 tons in October 2008 to 23,051 tons while winter landfill hours (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) began on Nov. 15.
-- received student presentations from Defiance College's social welfare policy class concerning WIC, sexual harassment and texting while driving.
-- announced that their offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving.
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