DEPARTMENT: Finance
FILE TYPE: Regular Action
TITLE
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Public Hearing To Receive Comments And Adoption Of Dakota County 2027 Recommended Fee Schedules
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RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Minn. Stat. § 373.41 authorizes the Dakota County Board to establish fees for various services provided to the public after holding a public hearing; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County desires to recover costs for services, except where an increase would adversely affect the use of a program or service; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County posted notice of a public hearing in the official newspaper with reference to the Dakota County website, and the notice of a public hearing on the recommended 2027 fee schedules was published from September 3, 2026, through October 6, 2026, on the Dakota County website under Public Notices; and
WHEREAS, a public hearing was held on October 6, 2026, to receive comments on the 2027 Fee Schedules.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby adopts the recommended Dakota County 2027 fee schedule as presented.
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BACKGROUND
The County Manager recommends that the County Board adopt fee schedules for fiscal year 2027. Minn. Stat. §373.41 provides that the County Board may, after a public hearing, establish fees to be charged for services that are not governed by other statutes. Fee revenues provide an important revenue source for the County and help to support the cost of operations and offset the annual levy. The recommended fees are for services that are not governed by a more specific law and are proposed to take effect January 1, 2027, except for certain Parks fees which will take effect late 2026.
Finance worked with all the divisions and departments to set fees to cover estimated costs of providing services, including overhead, with an inflationary rate increase of three percent. The projected inflationary increase is consistent with the overall budget planning framework that reflects higher labor costs for 2027. Some exceptions to this approach include:
•Fees established by law or rule; and
•Fees for services when it is difficult to determine the actual cost of service such as rental of campgrounds, facilities, and equipment. The recommendation for these types of fees or services should be based upon marketplace rates.
Many of the Community Services fees are set at the cost of services; however, the amount charged to clients is usually less due to the provision of a sliding fee schedule that is included in the Community Services policy.
The following are highlights of the 2027 fees:
•17 new fees
•22 existing fees are being eliminated
•206 fees with an increase of more than 10%
•Three existing fees had decreases over 10%
The recommended fee schedules were presented at the County Board Work Session on August 18, 2026.
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommend that the County Board conduct a public hearing and adopt the 2027 Dakota County recommended fee schedules.
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FINANCIAL AND STAFFING IMPACTS
If the recommended fee schedule is adopted, the anticipated additional fee revenue will be included in the 2027 County Manager’s Recommended Budget. The recommended fee schedule is projected to bring in an additional $730,000 in fee revenue in 2027, which would bring total budgeted revenue from fee schedule fees to $13.6 million.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment: Presentation Slides
Attachment: 2027 Central Operations Division Fees
Attachment: 2027 Community Service Fees
Attachment: 2027 Copy Fees
Attachment: 2027 Environmental Resource Fees
Attachment: 2027 Fleet Fees
Attachment: 2027 Parks Fees
Attachment: 2027 Plat Fees
Attachment: 2027 Public Service Revenue Fees
Attachment: 2027 Sheriff's Fees
Attachment: 2027 Transportation Fees
CONTACT
Department Director: Will Wallo
Author: Kirupa Suntharalingam