Sedgwick County Commissioners have approved a transaction fee increase for the county tag office.
Starting January 1, the new fee will cost $7.75, instead of the current $5.00 charge.
The 2026 Kansas Legislature gave counties the option to increase the fee up to $10. County Treasurer Brandi Bailey proposed a $4.50 increase at last week's meeting, which would taken the fee to $9.50, but commissioners were not comfortable with that amount.
Commissioner Ryan Baty said not one penny of county property tax funds should subsidize the tag office, which is a state function.
The county projects that the new fee would put the tag office around $50 thousand in the black. By law, any surplus funds received must go back to the county's general fund. The fee will help to recruit and retain staff, establish a tiered pay system and address customer wait times.
