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For informational purposes, the Secretary of State’s current
Official Fee Schedule for Copying Public Records, dating from 2003 and adopted
pursuant to 1
V.S.A. § 316(d) provides for a charge of $0.05 per page for standard sized
single sided copies:
http://vermont-archives.org/research/fees/fees.htm
Additional information relating to various specific local fees
or charges can also be found at:
http://vermont-elections.org/elections1/2009OfficialFeeSchedule7.01.09.pdf
In order for a local government to assess copying fees that
vary from the Secretary of State’s Official Schedule, its legislative
body must establish its own charges based on an examination/ substantiation of
actual costs pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 316(e):
“(e) After public hearing, the legislative body of a
political subdivision shall establish actual cost charges for copies of public
records. The legislative body shall also establish the amount that may be
charged for staff time, when such a charge is authorized under this section. To
determine actual cost charges, the legislative body shall use the same factors
used by the secretary of state. If a legislative body fails to establish a
uniform schedule of charges, the charges for that political subdivision shall
be the uniform schedule of charges established by the secretary of state until
the local legislative body establishes such a schedule. A schedule of public
records charges shall be posted in prominent locations in the town offices.”
“Actual cost” is defined in subsection (d) as: “To
determine "actual cost" the secretary shall consider the following
only: the cost of the paper or the electronic media onto which a public record
is copied, a prorated amount for maintenance and replacement of the machine or
equipment used to copy the record and any utility charges directly associated
with copying a record.”
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullsection.cfm?Title=01&Chapter=005&Section=00316
Hope this is helpful for background/ context.
Let me know if Vermont State Archives & Records
Administration (“VSARA”) (Part of the office of the Secretary of
State) or I can be of further assistance.
Trevor
Records Analyst &
Local Records Program Coordinator
802-828-1005 (tel.) | 802-828-3710 (fax)
802-828-3700 (main switchboard)
“Records
management is like elevator maintenance.
It's
not noticed until it's gone, or something goes wrong.” (unknown)
"Information
management policies are not a dark or novel art" Hon. David Nuffer, U.S. Magistrate Judge, District of Utah, 2009
From: Vermont
Municipal Government Discussion Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gene Craft, Town
Clerk/Treasurer
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012
3:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Copying costs
I am interested in
finding out what other clerks charge for copies of lister cards, tax maps, map
and lot files records, etc., and how you have arrived at the charge per
copy. I recently had an appraiser complain because I charged him more
than the Secretary of States’ 3 cents a page for a lister’s card
(currently our rate for lister’s cards). I was the one who was
asked to get the records out of the lister’s office and the one who made
the copies.
Town Clerk/Treasurer
Town of