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StumbleLas Vegas building inspection fees to increase
Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010 | 3:54 p.m.
Stavros Anthony
For the first time in 17 years, building inspection fees are being raised in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas City Council approved the increase today on a 5-1 vote to help improve the service in the city's Building and Safety Department, which has made major cuts in personnel during the last year because of declining revenue.
Councilman Stavros Anthony, the only no vote, said he didn't think it was the right time to increase fees because of the current economic downturn.
A 25 percent average increase will be effective within 60-90 days, with another 15 percent increase in 2012 and a 10 percent increase in 2013.
For a typical home that has 2,000 square feet of living area, the inspection fees would increase by $24.
A standard new office building of 5,000 square feet would see a fee increase of $638.
Without the fee increases, the department would have had to lay off additional workers, which, in turn, would have resulted in reduced service levels, according to city officials.
The department has laid off 75 people in the last two years, which has resulted in delays in inspections and plans checks. For example, inspections that used to take one day are now taking three days to complete, the city said.
The department, which depends only on the fees it collects for its budget, currently has 42 employees that are working to keep up with the demand.
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It looks like the building department has taken steps to contain costs. At some point the public has to pay for the services it uses. If this bit of increase puts a developer out of business they were close to going broke in the first place.
I am all for smaller government, but the public should not get too caught up in the extreme right rhetoric.
@wegoaxleguard
I can be for smaller government and not be an extremist right-winger. And by all means, GET THE HELL OUT of my community if you don't support it. Too many of you moved here anyway. Hey, here's a suggestion, take a few more with you. I was very happy with Vegas circa 1990.
wegoaxleguard
For a typical home that has 2,000 square feet of living area, the inspection fees would increase by $24.
A standard new office building of 5,000 square feet would see a fee increase of $638.
This is going to break you?
This will give a boost to our eroding construction industry. NOT!
@firedawg2000
The big construction boom is OVER. Pick a new trade or another place to live if construction is your vocation.
Again, I was very happy with Vegas circa 1990 when most of you were not here.
The last thing this valley needed was 1.2 million homes and people looking for work. And the recent financial disater proves that.
This much construction was just wrong. It's over, move on, please.