Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger
Hamilton County Commissioner Bill Hullander participates in a county commission meeting in this file photo.Ten million bucks may be a drop in Hamilton County’s $643 million bucket, but officials say money generated by the county’s five fee-collecting offices makes a big difference at budget time.
Fee offices — a loose name for a group that includes the Clerk & Master, Circuit Court Clerk, County Clerk, County Register and County Trustee — collect fees from residents who interact with their offices.
Those fees are put toward operating the individual offices, but by law any money left over — what the business world would call profit — is returned to the county’s general fund.
This year, that figure is $10.4 million — about $500,000 more than expected.
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger says that’s an indicator the local economy is strong.