On Wednesday, June 11, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners will host a public hearing to discuss the proposed County Fee Schedule for Fiscal Year 2026. Community members are invited to attend in person or virtually to provide their feedback.
The County Fee Schedule, which is evaluated annually, is a detailed list of fees that individuals, businesses or other entities pay for county services and permits. By clearly indicating the costs associated with county services and permits, the fee schedule helps the community plan project budgets and ensures compliance with regulations.
County fees cover a range of services from accessing public records and renting fairground facilities, to procuring a food handler’s license and obtaining building permits for projects within unincorporated Deschutes County. While many of the fees listed in the proposed FY26 County Fee Schedule remain unchanged, several are either newly introduced or have increased since FY25.
Changes to this year’s proposed fee schedule include:
- Community Development has introduced a $1,010 permit fee for property owners who want to use a recreational vehicle as a rental dwelling on their property.
- Environmental Services proposes a 5% fee increase to operate a Mobile Food Truck; the license fee now ranges from $388 to $843 depending on the unit classification.
- Under County Code, property owners in unincorporated areas using their property as a vacation rental must register for a Certificate of Authority (COA) and collect a Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) to be paid to Deschutes County. Previously, no cost was associated with COA registration; however, to cover administrative costs, the Finance Department proposes charging a $300 initial registration fee and a $150 annual renewal fee, effective Sept. 1, 2025.
- Solid Waste proposes increasing public landfill disposal fees by $2. Under its plan, disposing of items weighing up to 400 pounds will cost $28, with additional charges for each extra 200 pounds.
The public hearing will occur during the Board of County Commissioner’s regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, June 11 at 9 a.m. at the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend. The meeting agenda and virtual log in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.
