Compared to some municipalities, the $50 fee the city of Warren requires for farmer’s market vendors could be worse.

Montgomery County, for example, requires a $135 fee for a farmer’s market vendor. Pittsburgh’s fees can range from $250 to $400 depending on the area of the city a vendor is participating in. Mt. Lebanon charges $200 for the season, with a special visiting vendor rate of $20 per Saturday.

So, yes, we can understand city officials’ desire to recoup the costs for the city’s health officer with a fee.

Unlike the other cities with bigger fees, farmers in the Warren area aren’t seeing enough visitors to make the profits to pay the fee.

Councilman Phil Gilbert makes an interesting point, however, that city officials need to consider. If there is no farmer’s market, the city will still pay the health officer’s $12,000 salary. And vendors say the fee is a disincentive to attend Warren’s farmer’s market.

Council members were deadlocked on repealing the fee, with Gilbert, John Wortman and Doug Hearn voting to repeal the tax and Mayor Maurice Cashman, Paul Giannini and Gregory Fraser voting to keep the fee.

Rather than an all-or-nothing approach, the council should take another look at the fee with an eye toward an amount the farmers’ may find workable. If the average yearly inspection takes an hour or less, then a $50 fee seems excessive.

There is a middle ground that city officials should find that works for both the city and for farmers.