Actually the given equation 15 + 5x is a linear equation. We can see that the equation is in the form of:
y = mx + b
where,
m = slope = 5
b = y intercept = 15
Since the slope is 5, therefore this means that changing the value of x by 1 changes the value of the cost of the permit by 5. So for every 1 change in x, there is a corresponding 5 change in the cost of the permit.