Facing a major revenue shortfall, state lawmakers are turning to day cares, fertilizer dealers and traveling circuses to bring in more money.
Georgia House Bill 1055, recently signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue, increases more than 75 permitting, licensing and penalty fees across the state, including licenses for child care workers, agricultural product dealers and, yes, traveling circuses.
The bill also increases the cost of replacement firearm permits by $1, adds a $35 annual fee for specialty license plates and takes the state's lobbyist registration fee from $200 to $300.
Some of the fee increases already are in place or will begin July 1, but others will show up over the next 12 months.
"Because fees had not been adjusted in years, taxpayers were essentially subsidizing businesses," explained Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette.
Many of the fees were outdated and didn't cover the expense of the service, he said, so tax dollars were used to fill in the gap.
"When the state only charges $10 to inspect an airport runway, that's inadequate," Rep. Neal said. "I think most people realize that."
"An inspector couldn't get in his car, crank it up and drive out there for $10," added Rep. Tom Dickson, R-Cohutta.
Some of the fees were instituted in the 1950s or '60s, said Rep. Dickson.
He and Rep. Neal said raising the fees is a way to charge businesses and people that use certain services rather than imposing an across-the-board tax hike.
"In reality, it's a tax decrease, even though nobody's taxes are going down," Rep. Dickson said. "It keeps them from going up."
Among the largest percentage increase is the annual licensing fee for timber preservative treatment. It jumps from $25 to $120, an increase of almost 500 percent.
Court fees are rising, too, including a jump from 25 cents to 50 cents a page for uncertified copies of documents from Superior Court. Preparation of records and transcripts for the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals jumps from $1.50 per page to $10 per page and other court transcripts go from $5 to $35 per page.
The maximum payouts have been raised as well. The fee to distribute specialty pet food climbed from $25 per product to $40, and the maximum payout went from $1,000 to $2,000.
In other instances, such as the specialty license plates and food sales licenses, one-time fees were converted to annual ones.
And while many of the increases may not seem too crippling, they'll show up in the bottom line for some businesses, according to Lisa Forgey, owner of Giggle and Grow day care in Catoosa County. Her annual license cost will grow from $30 or $35 to $50 or more, and she's not giggling.
"It's $50 a year and that's not a big deal but, in the eyes of a small business, when you're already taxed to death, it's a big deal," she said. "It's my money."
Some increasing fees:
* Licenses for pet dealers and kennel, stable and animal shelter operators
* Licenses for mortgage lenders and brokers licenses
* Manufactured home inspection fees
* Notary public certification
* Registration of trade names
* Processing the estate of a deceased person
* Permit to discharge fireworks
* Firearm permit applications and replacement permit applications
* Issuance of a subpoena
* Annual day-care licenses
* Campaign finance reporting fees
* Lobbyist registration and renewal fee
* Carnival license
* Building inspection fees
* Permit to dispense natural gas
* Permit for self-service gasoline station
* Traveling circus or motion picture show fees
* Food sales permit
* Motor vehicle registration
* Specialty license plates
* Coin-operated amusement machine permit
FEES GOING UP
Grain or feed dealer license
New pesticide registration
Pesticide dealer, contractor and applicator license
Seed dealer licenses
Fertilizer distributor licenses
Fertilizer inspections
Lime and soil amendment dealer licenses
Commercial feed and pet food dealer licenses
Timber preservative treatment licenses
Organic certification fees
Licenses for poultry dealers, brokers and market operators
Licenses for pet dealers and kennel, stable and animal shelter operators
Licenses for mortgage lenders and brokers licenses
Licenses for manufacturers and installers of manufactured homes
Manufactured home inspection fees
Antifreeze inspection fees
Certified public weigher licenses
Cotton, grain and agricultural product warehousing licenses
Flue-cured leaf tobacco dealer licensing
Forest fire protection fees
Corporation and limited partnership registration fees
Uncertified copies of documents from superior court
Notary public certification
Registration of trade names
Preparation of record and transcript to the supreme court and court of appeals
Processing the estate of a deceased person
Fees for hearings over denied firearm license
Changes to a birth certificate
Fees for processing appeals to superior court
Permit to discharge fireworks
Firearm permit applications and replacement permit applications
Marriage license for those without premarital education
Safekeeping of a will
Peddler's license
Issuance of a subpoena
Filing and recording of an oath or bond by official officer or municipal employee
Magistrate court filing deposit for civil action
Ordinance violation fees
Sheriff's office action from another county
Witness summoning fees
Fee for executing bills of sale of personal property
Fee for making and executing titles to land
Annual daycare licenses
Late fee for daycare licenses
Campaign finance reporting fees
Lobbyist registration and renewal fee
Lobbyist identification card
Anhydrous ammonia storage permit
Explosives manufacturing permit
License to store, manufacture and transport fireworks
Carnival license
Construction plan review fees
Fire sprinkler certification
Liquefied petroleum storage
Building inspection fees
Purchase, sale, storage and transport of explosives
Permit to dispense natural gas
Permit for self service gasoline station
Traveling circus or motion picture show fees
Fire sprinkler contractor, designer and inspector certification
Fire extinguisher installation, inspection and service permits
Food sales permit
Wholesale fish dealer permit
Permit for sale of meat, poultry or seafood from a mobile vehicle
Airport licenses
Insurance agent or broker violations
Motor vehicle registration
Specialty license plates
Motor vehicle race track operator's permit
Coin operated amusement machine permit
Agricultural tourist attraction operators
Source: House Bill 1055