By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer

WEST CHESTER — Borough Council is considering increasing its rental unit license fee — the fee landlords must pay the borough every year for each rental unit they have — from $42 to $43.33.

This move is somewhat controversial. In 2003, Court of Common Pleas Judge Juan Sanchez ruled that the borough was charging more for license fees than it cost to inspect rental units. The license fees are intended to cover rental unit inspection.

Sanchez's ruling came as the result of a suit filed by a coalition of local landlords. Sanchez ordered the borough to return to landlords nearly $200,000 and required the borough to demonstrate that its rental unit fees are in line with the cost of inspecting rental units.

Borough officials said that the cost of inspecting rental units has risen, justifying the $1.33 increase. A representative of local landlords said that while landlords don't necessarily contest the increase, they want to review the borough's numbers before agreeing to pay it.

"Certainly no one likes to see taxes go up … but if that's what their numbers are, it is what it is," said Grant Nelson, the president of the West Chester Apartment Housing Association.

Nelson said that he and other members of the Apartment Housing Association want to make sure the borough is running the rental unit inspection program in a cost-efficient manner.

Council in May considered the increase but voted 4-2 to table the matter until June. Mayor Carolyn Comitta had urged council to table the increase — she said that local landlords had not been given adequate chance to review it.

"I'm OK with the delay," said Borough Council President Holly Brown. "I would like to start a new, better relationship with the rental property owners."

In addition to Brown, council members John Manion, Tom Paxson, and Cassandra Jones voted to table the increase.

Council members Jim Jones and Sue Bayne voted against tabling it.

To contact staff writer Dan Kristie, send a e-mail to dkristie@dailylocal.com.