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An already slashed Salt Lake County budget may see a bit more trimming Tuesday if GOP council members have anything to say about it.

After being thwarted last week on two attempts to garner more savings —$5 million from human services and $2.5 from the mayor’s portfolio — council Republicans will try again to downsize government spending when county fees are addressed in ongoing budget discussions. Councilman David Wilde said Monday that he thinks there are some obvious areas where the county could, and should, be charging more for services they provide.

“There are definitely some areas in recreation where fees could go up in a fair manner,” Wilde said. “There’s no reason the average taxpayers should be paying for services that they don’t use.”

Wilde said he will propose upping the annual membership fees for individuals and families at Salt Lake County recreation facilities, and would also like to see a modest entrance fee for the Salt Lake County Fair, an annual event that has always been free.

“We’re currently talking about paying a $60,000 subsidy to the fair,” Wilde said. “Why not charge a small fee, $1 or $1.50 and use that money somewhere else?”

While a fee at that level would cover the proposed subsidy—about 60,000-70,000 attend the fair — Salt Lake County Community Services Director Erin Litvack said charging for the fair would put the event out of step with similar happenings elsewhere in Utah.

“We made a decision, in conjunction with the fair board, to increase the parking fee at the fair in lieu of charging for admittance,” Litvack said. “That helped reduce the subsidy … and it keeps us in line with the other county fairs across the state, none of whom charge entrance fees.”

On upping memberships fees at rec centers, Litvack said the county is constantly monitoring what’s charged at other municipal and private facilities and adjusting costs appropriately. At last week’s county budget meeting, Litvack noted that fee increases eventually hit a point of diminishing return and can result in net revenue losses when customers go elsewhere.

One set of customers — –those doing business with the county recorders’ office — don’t have an option B, and Wilde said the fees now charged to title companies, real estate agents and the like is long overdue for an update.

“We give the people who rely on the recorders’ services, who derive a great benefit from it, an essentially subsidized fee,” Wilde said. “It’s time to address that fee. A penny a page is not a sufficient return.”