By Mark Squibb | Mar. 25, 2021
Those wishing to build in the Town of Bay Bulls ought to know of a new change to the permit fee.
During the March 8 council meeting, council adopted a revised budget and tax structure effective March 8.
The mil rate will remain the same, and business and utility and property taxes will remain the same too. Town Manager Jennifer Aspell noted during the meeting, the major changes had to do with application fees for projects.
“So, in the past we did not charge application fees,” said Aspell. “We will be charging an application fee and a permit fee that will total what previously used to be the permit fee. For example, if you were applying to construct a new residential home, there was no application fee, but the cost of the permit was $150. Now, there will be a $75 application fee, and a $75 permit fee. So, it will be the same total cost, but we are splitting it. There is no change to the mil rate, or minimum business tax, or residential property rate or anything like that.”
Mayor Harold Mullowney told the Irish Loop Post the price split was more of a housekeeping item than anything else.
There was also a change in the overall expenditures and revenue in the town’s new budget.
The Town had budgeted expenditures at $2,680,732 and revenue at $2,733,497 in the original budget, but under the new revision, expenditures sit at $2,728,232 while revenues sit at $2,796,360.
That’s $47,500 in additional expenditures and $62,863 in revenue.
No explanation was given during the meeting for the budget changes, and in response to a follow up e-mail, Aspell said the adoption of the revised budget was “a housekeeping item with the changes that were made to the tax structure.”
Meanwhile, Mullowney said the revised budget had nothing to due with the change to permit fees.
“This would have had nothing to do with that motion,” said the mayor, noting the revised budget was adopted before the application fee motion.
“Nothing has changed, it’s just a matter of splitting the fee and how you pay it… the actual amount hasn’t changed, just how you pay it: it’s two installments instead of one.”
Mullowney said the budget revision was due to some minor changes and tweaking.
