St. Pete Permitting Fees May Rise

Just weeks after fee the St. Petersburg City Council will be voting on increase to permitting fees in St. Pete.

City staff is recommending approval of an increase that would generate nearly $105,000 in additional permitting revenues.

According to city documents:

“The propose(d) fees attempt to balance recovering costs and minimizing general fund subsidies with having fees that are within the range of fees charged by other jurisdictions for similar services. Based on past demand for services it is estimated that the proposed fee schedule will approximately $244,862 annual or an annual revenue increase of approximately $104,803."

According to the city, almost half of the estimated revenue increase would come from services provided for zoning review of building permit and driveway applications that are currently provided for at no charge.

The city said no major change in permitting fees has occurred since 2000 and that similar cities pay much more than what St. Pete currently charges. According to city documents, the city still plans to subsidize many fees in hopes to encourage further redevelopment of St. Petersburg.

“ … with the exception of adult use renewals, liquor licenses, establishment of temporary parking lots and after-the-fact tree removal permits, the cost of providing services will equal, and most cases, continue to exceed the proposed fees. The ongoing willingness of the city to subsidize these services reflects the city’s desire to encourage development and investment in the community that creates the longer term benefits of an improved tax base and higher quality of life for the citizens.”

Proposed Fee Changes

The above, and below, charts are just a partial list of proposed fee changes. For a full list of proposed fee changes, you can view them online at the city's website.

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