Fees - many, many fees - going up in Anoka County

The cost of having your fingerprints taken in Anoka County just doubled. A one-way trip on the county's Dial-a-Ride will cost an additional 50 cents. And, next year, renting a cabin at Camp Salie, near Stacy, will cost another $50 a night.

Whether seeking an archery-range pass, having a county map mounted on a foam backing or requesting a private autopsy, services in Anoka County come with a price. And many of those fees are about to increase as a result of Tuesday's vote by the County Board to raise rates.

Gas prices have driven up the costs of transit and have contributed to other increases, said Cevin Petersen, the county's finance division manager. But some of the increased fees -- such as the cost of fingerprinting, which had not risen in 23 years -- might have been simply overdue.

"We've gone from $10 to $20 for fingerprinting?" asked longtime County Commissioner Dan Erhart. "Why double the price?"

No, he was told, it's not to pay for the recently approved tri-county forensic crime lab in Andover. After not raising the price since 1985, it was time, said Anoka County Sheriff Bruce Andersohn.

Fingerprints that don't involve crimes -- the fingerprints requested by citizens for other identification purposes -- are rarely done by police departments anymore, said Loni Payne, chief deputy with the Sheriff's Office. And having the Sheriff's Office raise its fee to $20 seemed reasonable since other counties charge $25, she said.

"It's costly to us," she said, explaining that it takes 20 minutes to do one fingerprint card and most customers request one for each hand.

The increased Dial-a-Ride fees became a given with rising gas prices. The Dial-a-Ride service is a cross between a bus and taxi. Without much metro bus service in parts of the county, travelers within the county can call the Dial-a-Ride service for rides, Petersen said.

The 50-cent jump takes effect Oct. 1, boosting the one-way fare to $3.75 for off-peak times and $4.75 during rush hours.

"We review all [county] fees twice a year," Petersen said. "We try to do what's appropriate. With gas prices rising, some of the increases are obvious."

Others are products of overall inflation. An annual range pass at the Bunker Hills Archery Range at the regional park in Andover will increase from $30 to $60 on Jan. 1. Renting the dining hall and a cabin at Camp Salie, in the northeastern part of the county, will jump from a minimum of $100 a night (depending on the number of people using the facilities) to a $150 minimum.

Camping fees for rustic sites and RV sites, which offer water and electrical hookups, at county sites will increase $2 a night next year. Social services -- ranging from detox to outpatient mental health services -- also will increase, but still will be based on a sliding fee schedule. Mounting maps, which used to be free, now costs 40 cents per square foot. A private autopsy costs as much as $2,500; if it involves asbestosis, an inflammatory medical condition affecting lung tissues, the cost is a minimum of $1,000.

"The county can't charge fees in excess to the actual costs," Petersen said.