Update:
Jackson County Counsel: It's on me.
The Jackson County Counsel, Joel Benton, wrote me to say that authority for making fee waivers had been delegated tohimandheexercised that authority. Moreover,
"I did not confer with anyone else when I reviewed Ms. Krause’s request for a waiver or reduction of the fee for her request."
I will take him at his word.
When I was county commissioner forty years ago, a decision that involved interaction with a highly visible citizen group involving the very structure of local government would have been made in consultation and concurrence of the county commissioners. The elected commissioners were responsible for what the county did -- its decisions, its actions, its reputation. The buck stopped with us, not staff.
That's why we got paid
Joel Benton seems to be the definition of officious.