User Fees and Cost Recovery
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines regarding the estimation of the full cost of service for which a user fee may be charged and related cost recovery goals for a service that may be maintained as costs change. The estimation of the full cost of providing a service does not suggest that a user fee should fully recover the cost, only that the portion of the cost recovered by a user fee should be known, and that a recovery rate may be maintained through an automatic adjustment or other process.
Policy
It is the policy of the BOCC that it may, from time to time, establish or update a fee for service provided by the County (user fee). Where appropriate, the County will estimate the full cost of providing a service for which a fee is charged. The BOCC may establish a cost recovery goal based on the full cost of a service and authorize automatic or other adjustment so that the fee may be updated to recover the same portion of the County’s cost over time. The estimation of cost will consider all reasonable direct and indirect cost components.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the Management and Budget Department, under the direction of the County Administrator, to implement this policy.