KINGWOOD — Next month, Preston County Commissioners will consider raising recording fees for property transactions.
County Clerk Linda Huggins brought the proposal to Commissioners Dave Price, Don Smith and Samantha Stone.
They will consider the proposal at 10 a.m. Feb. 19. If the action is approved, the new rates will take effect March 1.
The one-time fee would be an additional $1.10 per $1,000 of property value. The current fee is $6.60 per $1,000, which is split evenly among the county, state and Preston County Farmland Protection Agency. If it’s approved, the new fee would go solely to the county.
Recording fees are collected when deeds “with consideration,” or a sale price, are recorded in the clerk’s office. Some deeds, such as those between parent and child, are exempt from consideration.
“We’re all needing something. We’re either needing staff or space,” Huggins said.
And the county is facing rising regional jail fees, Price said. He noted that Huggins had brought the matter to the commission before, but he thought it was appropriate that it had been held until new Commissioner Stone was sworn in and could vote on it.
In other money matters, County Administrator Kathy Mace reminded commissioners that they have pending funding requests from the Preston Mat Club and Denver Water Association.
The club, which uses a county building near Preston High, faces monthly gas bills of about $516 in the winter and asked for help with that expense. The water association asked for about $6,000 to erect a building to hold supplies, records and an office.
