Agricultural News
Oklahoma Cattlemen's Board of Directors Approves Directive to Consider Increasing State Brand Registration Fee; Comment Period Opens Today
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 12:19:38 CDT
The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association (OCA) Board of Directors approved a Directive at the General Business Meeting held during the 2019 Annual OCA Convention to consider increasing the brand registration fee and renewal fee to $40 beginning in 2020. The Oklahoma Brand Registrar is housed in the OCA office and administered by the Association.
OCA President Mike Weeks offers some reasons why an increase is being considered.
"It has been more than twenty years since the brand registration fee was modified. Brands are extremely valuable to the individuals that own them and extremely important to the beef cattle industry for identification and theft deterrent. The Brand Registrar office must keep pace to provide the important service for brand owners and our industry. Simply put that means a reasonable fee is necessary in order to provide this valuable service," said Weeks.
President Weeks offered several specifics for consideration:
- The current database is out of date and needs to be updated.
- Printing and mailing the Brand Books to law enforcement and other important offices has increased dramatically since the last fee increase.
- The fixed costs of staffing, supplies and general office expenses continue to rise.
As the Board considered the proposal at the Convention, several asked how Oklahoma brand registration fees relate to other states.
Weeks said that staff had been instructed to gather that information in preparation for Convention and shared, "Kansas registers brands for $50, New Mexico for $100 and Missouri for $35. Texas registers brands by county rather than by state with a minimum fee of $5 although the County Clerk can choose to charge a higher fee." Weeks said the Board concluded that a $40 fee would be well within a comparison of surrounding states and a reasonable fee for registering Oklahoma brands.
Weeks offered that OCA wants to be very transparent and inclusive in this consideration.
"OCA leadership was very clear in this proposal consideration that input from those who use brand registration is very important. While we have been gathering verbal input from those who call in to register their brands, it is important to have a formal written comment period," said Weeks.
The OCA Board of Directors has established a comment period from July 22 to August 22, 2019 and is inviting written comments regarding the proposed brand registration cost increase.
"Fee increases are always difficult but you want to make sure you do this right. So, we invite comments," said OCA Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey in an interview with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays during the OCA convention. "Then, the Board will consider the increase at an OCA Board of Directors' meeting on August 24. Individuals interested in submitting comments can go to the OCA website at okcattlemen.org to learn more about the proposal and submit their comments."
You can hear Kelsey talk more about the proposed fee modifcation with Hays, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below.
Source - Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association
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