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We've known all along that the city's upping myriad fees to cover some of the $190-million budget shortfall in the budget that'll get passed today by the city council and take effect October 1. But the best look yet at what's to come is spelled out in Addendum Item No. 15, as it promises an additional $11.3 million in revenue at the expense of the following:
The changes, which are incorporated into the proposed ordinance, relate to storm water drainage utility rates; transportation regulation fees; juvenile case management fee; certification fees for food handlers; various fees for fixed, mobile and temporary food establishments; solid waste collection and disposal charges; registration and inspection of multi-tenant properties; flood plain fill permits and municipal setting designation fees.
And by "transportation regulation fees," they mean everything from shuttle buses to, yes, horse-drawn carriages. You want to drive anything in this city to make a sawbuck, and your the cost of a permit likely goes up next year -- from $16 to $40 in nonrefundable application fees. I now fear the fate of the stagecoach business.
Keep the Dallas Observer Free... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Dallas with no paywalls.
