At its January 27, 2026 regular meeting, the Duarte City Council adopted and updated its Comprehensive User Fee Schedule following the completion of a citywide User Fee Study. The update ensures that fees charged for City services are fair, transparent, and consistent with State law.

Cities are permitted by State law to impose user fees for services and activities they provide, provided those fees do not exceed the reasonable cost of delivering the service or regulating the activity. Duarte maintains a citywide fee schedule to provide residents and businesses with a clear, centralized reference for these charges. 

The City of Duarte completed its last comprehensive user fee update in 2017. Although some individual fees have been adjusted over time, changes in labor costs, operational expenses, and service demands made a full review necessary. As a result, on January 28, 2025, the City Council authorized City staff to contract with Willdan Financial Services to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the City’s existing fees and work with City staff to determine the full cost of providing a wide range of services.

The updated Comprehensive Fee Schedule includes fees across multiple departments. Other factors such as surveying neighboring city fees for specific services were also considered to ensure rates were comparable with the region. Most of the updated fees will take effect on February 2, 2026. Fees related to the filing, review, approval, or issuance of land use applications, permits, or entitlements will take effect on March 30, 2026, in accordance with State law. 

Updating the Comprehensive User Fee Schedule supports the City’s Strategic Plan, specifically Goal D, Financial Sustainability, which focuses on maintaining a fiscally solvent local government with diverse revenue streams to support long-term financial health.

To view the updated Fee Schedule, please click here. Residents and businesses with questions are encouraged to contact Duarte City Hall at (626) 357-7931 for additional information.