Opinion ID: 1790807
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Existing Repayment Mechanism

Text: Normally, a municipal corporation can, as a home rule entity, impose license fees, permit fees, or franchise fees to cover the cost of inspecting, licensing, supervising, or otherwise regulating activities related to the exercise of its police power. Home Builders Ass'n v. City of West Des Moines, 644 N.W.2d 339, 347 (Iowa 2002). However, in the present case, an additional administrative fee is not appropriate because the City already receives compensation for these costs. Not only is the City already compensated for its role in the application process, but the City, with its large population, is compensated more for its application review process than other smaller cities or rural counties. The fact that the statutory fee schedule assures local authorities in larger cities larger application fees than local authorities in smaller cities or rural counties leads us to the conclusion that the general assembly appreciated and accounted for any additional costs involved in investigating and processing applications in larger cities. [3]