Fees for Marriage, Business Licenses in County Headed Higher

RIVERSIDE - The Riverside County Board of Supervisors today tentatively approved increasing the fees charged for marriage certificates, fictitious business licenses and several other county-issued documents, but also held some fees in check.

County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder Larry Ward asked for the increases in response to higher operational costs.

Ward's revised fee schedule calls for the following:

-- marriage license increases from $68 to $90;

-- duplicate marriage license from $25 to $28;

-- weekday marriage ceremony from $65 to $75;

-- Saturday ceremony from $90 to $113;

-- fictitious business name registration from $35 to $58;

-- request for a public record from 50 cents to $1; and

-- notary public registration from $44 to $61.

Fees would remain the same or decrease for several services, including certifying a copy of any filed paper (unchanged at $1.75) and providing a man's wedding band (unchanged at $20).

Temecula City Council candidate Paul Jacobs criticized the fee increases, telling the board it was pricing some services out of proportion to what neighboring counties are charging, particularly for conducting marriages.

''I did not know family values could be a victim of inflation,'' Jacobs said.

Supervisor Jeff Stone defended the increases, saying that without them, the county would have to subsidize the delivery of services by drawing down the general fund.

''That's not an appropriate way to run a government,'' Stone said.

The board is expected to formally adopt the revised fee schedule at its next meeting on Nov. 6.