By Frank Mustac, Special Writer
HOPEWELL TWP. — Fees for official copies of birth and death certificates will increase if the Township Committee approves an ordinance next month.
The measure introduced at the Jan. 19 meeting of the governing body calls for upping the cost for a first copy of either type of document to $25, from $10. Additional copies of the same record ordered on the same day would remain at $10 each.
The township’s health department, headed by Robert English, the municipality’s health officer, fulfills requests for the certificates.
A public hearing and a vote on the ordinance is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8.
“This is consistent to what we’re seeing in other towns that have hospitals where they have a fulltime (vital statistics) registrars,” Elaine Cruickshank-Borges, the township’s chief financial officer, said about the proposed pricing.
Mayor Kevin Kuchinski said there has been in a significant rise in the number of requests for the documents, with a high percentage coming from outside the township.
“This will help us offset our costs,” the mayor said about the price increase.
Steven Goodell, the township attorney, said the higher fee “is standard in the industry.”
“In other words, this is not a fee that is simply being used to generate income,” he said. “This is a standard fee that we see used in other towns. It’s rationally related to the amount of cost that is imposed on the township.”
