Baltimore Business Journal: Real estate brokers, veterinarians among the winners in Larry Hogan's latest fee cuts

Real estate brokers, veterinarians and ice manufacturing plants are among those about to pay less in state fees. Eight state agencies are cutting hundreds of fees for everything from real estate professionals to manufacturers to people needing homeless identification cards, Gov. Larry Hogan's administration said Tuesday. Together, the fee cuts total $10.2 million per year, or $51 million over five years.

Some fee changes are focused on individuals — for instance, cutting homeless identification cards for adults from $24 to $1, or a previously enacted removal of $1.50-per-month E-Z Pass maintenance fees. Others, however, are going to matter to businesses.

The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation will cut real estate broker license fees by $20. A new broker license will now cost $190, and a renewal will cost $170. Meanwhile, renewing the registration for an appraisal management company will cost $2,000 instead of $2,500.

Other fee reductions include 10 percent cuts in business license fees related to selling and registering automobiles, a $2,000 drop in ambulatory surgery center fees, a $65 lowering of annual veterinarian license fees and $250 cuts in licensing fees for a number of manufacturing plant types — including ice manufacturing plants.

Agencies will start fee cuts immediately as changes to state regulations do not require legislation, the Hogan administration said. It listed 100 fees cut or eliminated across state government, but said one of those fee categories — animal health diagnostic fees — includes 115 separate items.

Agencies will start fee cuts immediately as changes to state regulations do not require legislation, the Hogan administration said. It listed 100 fees cut or eliminated across state government, but said one of those fee categories — animal health diagnostic fees — includes 115 separate items.

The fee cuts come after Hogan and the General Assembly reached a deal to trim state agency expenditures by 2 percent this year, and as the Hogan administration prepares to continue to cut spending next year. A Hogan spokesman said fees can be cut as many departments were collecting more money than they needed.

UPDATE: Don't expect to see all of the fee cuts in place right away. Agencies are starting the updates immediately, but it could still be months before the cuts make their way through the regulatory process, a DLLR spokeswoman said.

For a full list of fee cuts by agency see:  9-15-State-Fee-Cuts

Read original article at: http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2015/09/15/real-estate-brokers-veterinarians-among-the.html

Photos from Gov. Hogan's press conference can be found at: http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2015/09/governor-hogan-fee-rollback-press.html