Countywide : County Hikes Fees to Raise Revenue

The cost of getting married in Ventura County went up Tuesday as the Board of Supervisors increased fees for marriage licenses and several other services in an effort to raise more revenue for the financially strapped county.

The supervisors voted 3 to 1 to raise the marriage license fee from $31 to $36 and increase the marriage certificate fee from $37 to $42. The move will generate an additional $24,000 annually for the county, officials said.

In addition, the board voted 4 to 0 to establish a $35 fee for people who decide to pay off court fines in installments, which is projected to raise nearly $84,000 for the county.

The supervisors also agreed to charge every person who receives an arrest warrant a $7 fee. Estimates on how much money would be generated from warrant fees were not available.

Officials said the court and warrant fees are necessary to offset the costs of law enforcement and court expenses.

The money raised from the marriage license and certificate fees will be used help pay the cost of operating the county’s court mediation service for couples who have filed for divorce.

Supervisor John K. Flynn was the only board member to vote against the measure to increase the fees for the newlyweds, calling the move inappropriate.

“We are probably hitting the people who can least afford to pay that additional $5,” he said.