In case you have forgotten, your taxes have already been raised; they are just named fees.
By Christine Smith
Posted May 5, 2017 at 11:00 AM
The Gardner News.

TEMPLETON - Selectmen have approved a list of increases to the town’s building, wiring, plumbing and gas permit inspection fees, effective July 1.

Interim Town Administrator Carter Terenzini said this will provide homeowners and contractors the chance to submit applications now before the fees go up.
Selectmen Vice Chairwoman Diane Haley Brooks questioned whether the proposed fees were comparable to those charged by other towns.

“Is it going to stop anybody from doing stuff here?” she asked. “It needs to be done, but we want to encourage new growth.”

Haley Brooks noted, “I don’t want there to be any detriment to coming here, moving here,” but both she and Selectman Doug Morrison said that the increases were “not unreasonable.”

According to Terenzini, the data was taken from a selection of comparable towns that had been approved by the board, which included Ashburnham, Winchendon, Athol and Orange, as well as Ayer, Dudley and Townsend. He said the fee adjustments were recommendations of town Building Inspector Richard Hanks.

Among the comparisons that were made, these other communities averaged fees of about $194 for wiring inspection permits of new dwellings, and about $1,310 for building inspection permits on 2,000-square-foot dwellings. They also averaged about $221 for plumbing and gas inspection permits for new dwellings with 20 fixtures.

Under Templeton’s approved new structure, wiring inspection permits for new dwellings will increase from $180 to $225, minimum fees will go up from $40 to $60, and fees charged for checks of outbuildings and pools will rise from $75 to $100. Fees for inspections of solar structures will go up from $40 to $100 and alarm systems will increase from $40 to $75.

Building permit inspection fees for new 2,000-square-foot dwellings will go from $1,040 to $1,528, and minimum fees charged will increase from $40-$60. Inspections for demolitions will remain at $75, while checks of roofs will increase from $40 to $50.

Building permit inspection fees for in-ground pools will increase from $75 to $150, but stay at $75 for above-ground pools.

Plumbing and gas permit inspection fees for 20 fixtures in a new dwelling will go from $145 to $225, and the minimum fee would rise from $50 to $60. Re-inspections will also go from $50 to $60, and permits for inspections of remodels with five fixtures will increase from $70 to $115.