City of Carlton Master Fee Schedule

The Carlton City Council established the Master Fee Schedule on March 20, 2018. At that time, the Council passed Resolution 2018-259, which repealed all previous fee references and consolidated them into one comprehensive document: the Master Fee Schedule. The Council reviews any new or revised fee proposals and, if approved, incorporates them into the Schedule.

The Finance Office is responsible for maintaining the Schedule. This includes reviewing modification requests, conducting periodic fee reviews to ensure fairness and alignment with service costs, and preparing recommendations for fee changes to the Council. Additionally, all City agencies play a role in the policies and upkeep of the fee schedule.

Departments that charge fees are accountable for:

1. Ensuring all fees they levy are included in the Master Fee Schedule.
2. Keeping updated copies of the Schedule accessible and displayed.
3. Proposing fees that accurately reflect the cost of City services.
4. Reviewing and revising fees annually or proposing changes as needed, per the Master Fee Schedule's intent.

There are two ways to revise the Schedule:

1.  During the annual budget process or mid-cycle budget review, departments submit proposed fee changes along with their budget proposals. If approved by the City manager and mayor, the changes are presented to the council and included in the adoption of the budget.
   
2.  Outside the budget process:  At any point during the year, an agency or department can submit proposed fee revisions (via memorandum) to the Finance Office. The Budget Officer reviews the request, and if approved by the City Manager, it is forwarded to the Council in the form of a resolution amendment prepared by the requesting department and accompanied by the necessary correspondence.

Regardless of when fee changes are proposed, they must be reviewed and approved by the Finance Office and authorized by the City Manager before being presented to the Council. Public notification and procedures, including a public hearing notice about the Schedule, are mandated for both processes.