Stafford Supervisor Laura Sellers said she was not “inherently opposed” to reducing the fee, but added: “I would like to know what the cost is going to be to the county.” The Stafford Sheriff’s Office, she said, has one employee who conducts the background checks.

“I would want to make sure that it still pays for itself” if the fee were reduced, Sellers said.

Outgoing County Administrator Anthony Romanello said he didn’t know the exact cost of the background checks, but said he could get the information before next month’s meeting. Sellers also wanted to know the salary of the Sheriff’s Office employee who processes applications.

Romanello said the county took in $95,000 from the fee last fiscal year and $67,000 during the fiscal year before that.

Stafford Supervisor Bob Thomas took issue with another aspect of the concealed handgun application process.

He said he tried to turn in an application a couple of years ago, but it couldn’t be processed at the time because he did not have a self-addressed stamped envelope.

“I think it would be reasonable for that $50 to include that stamp,” he said. “It just did not seem common-sensical.”