Cook County will soon be one of the most expensive places in Illinois to get a marriage or civil union license. The Cook County Board voted Tuesday to raise the fee from $40 to $60.

Commissioner Joan Murphy sponsored the ordinance. She said marriage license fees have not been increased for the last 20 years, and the new change isn't that big of a difference.

"If you think of what was being spent 20 years ago on something and what we're spending on it today -- just look at a loaf of bread, and look at the difference that you're spending on a loaf of bread today as compared to twenty years ago," she said.

The plan is part of an effort by the county clerk's office to generate revenue. According to a spokeswoman from County Clerk David Orr's office, the fee increase will bring about $600,000 to the county.

According to the ordinance, the fee will go into affect within the next week.