Building permit fees could go up

Marietta Times story

"On Jan. 1, the costs for residential building permits within the city of Marietta will increase as Washington County's building department takes over the city's residential and zoning permitting process."

So, Marietta residents have to pay the city (now county) for a permit to put a new roof on their house? Also, to demo an old outbuilding on their property?

I can understand some fees, especially user fees that only affect those initiating change.

However, this story has no good reasons for these fees to begin with.

""We wanted to set our fees so that they would cover the cost of doing the business, so we used actual costs of preparing the permits, including hours and manpower, to calculate the costs," Presley told the committee members on Monday."

So, why have permits? Is the only reason to pay for the wages of those processing the permits?It goes back to my suspicion that governments create fees to self perpetuate. The reasons for the fees are to pay for the permitting process.

Do we really need the nanny state telling us what kind of nails to use? Whatever happened to freedom and personal responsibility?