An item on this months commission docket is whether or not to add $5.00 to marriage license fees. The money will go to the County Archives dept for the archiving “ backing up” of marriage records. This particular them is permitted by law for this purpose. In some of the debates and comments from voters I hear “ no more taxes”, “no more fees”. I also hear its a user fee, or a privilege tax and that the poor can’t afford it. I wanted to chime in on this because I see a opportunity here that i don’t hear others bringing up. According to the county website The fee for a marriage license is $97.50 If the couple has completed marriage counseling and provides a signed and notarized counseling affidavit from the individual providing the counseling, the fee is $37.50. It seems to me this would be something to shout about! You can save $60.00 by listening to a counselor for a few hours. Lets look at this for a moment. From what I see most marriages end in divorce. Its a sad state we are in with marriage these days. One would think, going to counseling about marriage seems like a good idea. In fact the government says we will knock 2 thirds of the cost of the license if you go listen to someone talk about what you are about to do! What good is counseling? Well look at it this way, if a couple gets the counseling, and learns from it, it might save their marriage one day. It might help a youth not turn to crime because both his parents are together. It might just help make us a better community because test scores go up because families work on homework together. Why not promote this more? You want better citizens, better jobs, better eduction? I suggest promote protecting the family. Pre marital counseling might just be the ticket. I for one am optimistic and hopeful. Im also realistic and so the next paragraph begins. Lets say you don’t buy any of what I just said. Lets say you don’t care for the Christian aspect of counseling, fine. Try this, I remember back in the 70’s my folks loading me and my sister up in the car on a saturday morning. We lived in east Tennessee at the time. We drove to Crossville. They spent 2 hours looking a some land. Afterwards, I remember my father telling the man thanks, but no thanks. We got back in the car, mom with her shinny new coffee pot and we drove home. I like going to time share presentations. I got some free Dollywood tickets one year by going to a Gatlinburg timeshare presentation. The point is. if you go to the counseling, you save $60.00 off the price of the fee. What this says to me is if you are worried about money, heres a way to save a chunk of it. You don’t like that one either? Ok, its like doing your taxes every year. You look for deductions for everything so you can get a refund, or owe less. How many other times in life do you get the chance to not pay the full amount for a license or permit? Its just common sense that if you put forth a little effort, you get rewarded. I hope couples choose the reward of a happy marriage, but if $60.00 is the only reward, then there you go. If you dont care about any of that, and just want to get the permit and go, it will be an extra $5.00 if this passes. At that point its a fee on the willing, plain and simple. Its permitted by law, and I thank Joey Allen for finding this avenue of revenue to aide another department do its job. I will leave the part about archiving to Bob Duncan. I hope people looking to get married will go to counseling. I hope it helps them one day. I wish all new couples a lifetime of happiness. I hope they love their children, and stay involved with their education. I hope the find a house of worship if they so choose. I hope they will be part of making Maury County great! I hope they save $60.00 Eric Previti
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 16:27:48 +0000
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