Hernando Builders Association Urges BOCC to Support Mike McHugh’s Proposal to Keep the Building Department Solvent

Today, the HBA is asking the BOCC to support county staffs’ recommendation that allows the building department to raise permit fees on some remodel permit applications at the meeting on April 27th. Since the building department is an enterprise fund, the costs of running the department are supported by fees. According to data given to the organization by the development department, the HBA acknowledges that the current fee structure is not adequate enough to cover the costs of administration and inspections of certain permit applications. With the down turn in the housing industry the volume of permits for single family homes and commercial projects, which used to help make up the loss on these permits, has not been there to offset these losses. The HBA is also aware that if these fees are not raised soon the building department may become insolvent by October of this year. 

In the event of insolvency, permits would most likely be administered by a third party. The HBA believes that this will cause a rise in fees and the unemployment of many of our friends and neighbors who currently work for the Hernando County building department.

HBA president Jeff West states “even though the last thing we need in a housing slump is to raise fees, the HBA feels it is in the best interest of the community to keep a local building department functional”. He also states: “Since Hernando County has lower costs for these types of permits than surrounding areas, the raising of these fees to cover the actual cost of the permit makes sense, especially if it means keeping our neighbors and friends at the building department off the unemployment line”