County board raises marriage license, civil union fees to $30, defeats higher increase
URBANA -- Champaign County Board members Thursday endorsed an increase in marriage license and civil union fees to $30, but only after defeating a measure that would have raised them to $50.
The increase from the current fee of $20 to $30 was approved, 18-3, with the no votes coming from Democrats Astrid Berkson and Tom Betz and Republican John Jay. The fee increase will generate an estimated $10,000 a year, said County Administrator Deb Busey, who earlier had suggested a larger fee increase.
A substitute motion to increase the fee to $50 was swamped, 18-3, with the only yes votes coming from Democrats Michael Richards, Brendan McGinty and board Chair C. Pius Weibel.
McGinty noted the marriage license fee hadn't been raised in 30 years.
"This is not going to be an annual hit to everyone unless they get married every year," he said. "If somebody has some other revenue ideas, bring them."
Champaign Democrat Michael Richards also endorsed the increase to $50.
"I think that 50 dollars is a fair fee for a marriage license in this county," he said. "The way this county board works it probably will be another 20 years before this gets raised again."
But Urbana Democrat Carol Ammons said "there has been little to no establishment to justify raising this cost" and that the only reason to raise the fees was to generate more revenue.
Ralph Langenheim, also an Urbana Democrat, said the fee should "not exceed our out of pocket costs."
Board members also voted to appoint Democrats Weibel and Betz, along with Republican Alan Nudo, to a special team to handle salary negotiations with County Administrator Deb Busey.
Six of the 27 board members were absent -- Republicans Gary Maxwell, Steve Moser, Steve O'Connor and Ron Bensyl, and Democrats Lorraine Cowart and Pattsi Petrie.
MoreAs usual some Dems go after any fishing opportunity into our wallets with zeal and enthusiasm.
McGinty's blanket statement: "This is not going to be an annual hit to everyone unless they get married every year" reveals that he knows nothing about poverty and hints at a hardness in his heart toward poor people.
He follows that up with: "If somebody has some other revenue ideas, bring them." This indicates that he is just fishing for more revenue, he isn't considering the fee increase on its own merits, it is just a golden opportunity to extract more tribute to him.
Richards thinks going from $20 to $50, a 250% jump is "fair". He justifies his argument by reminding us how inefficient the county board is.
The other Dems the NG quoted sounded wise and reasonable.
I'm going to watch the County Board meeting on the public channel. I don't trust the NG to report "fair and balanced". Surely they only quoted the most ridiculous and damaging statements from those Dems. If not, just another good reason not to vote for McGinty, Richards,
and Weibel.
If we are just looking to charge what the market will allow, as in an open capitalist system, $30 is minimal. Frankly so is $50. I cannot imagine a single pair of people that would let even a $100 fee for a marriage or civil union license stand between them and marriage.
I don't think they're "paying government for the privilege." There are tax and legal benefits that come with marriage. You need proof of marriage to obtain them. Government puts forth some effort to establishing this proof by way of a marriage certificate. You can either spread that cost around through taxes or else ask for a small fee from the married couple.
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