County Will Charge to Admit Inmates

San Diego County will begin charging cities, colleges and school districts the cost of booking suspects into county jails beginning in April but will not make the billings retroactive to July, the Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday.

Representatives from 17 cities appeared before county supervisors Tuesday to protest the new fees, which were authorized by the state Legislature when it cut other programs.

County officials considered charging $176 per booking--the amount the county calculated it would cost to do the paperwork, take fingerprints and make background checks--but relented when city managers and mayors complained.

The fee instead will be $154 per booking, one of the highest in the state.

The Legislature gave counties the authority to impose the fee on cities, special districts, schools districts, community college districts, colleges and universities retroactive to July 1, 1990. County supervisors voted to begin charging the fees in April.

Under the plan approved Tuesday, fees would be imposed against the arresting agency responsible for bringing a suspect to jail. For example, the county would charge a community college district when one of its campus police officers booked a student into jail.

The city of San Diego is exempt from the fees because it has agreed to build and open a pre-arraignment jail on East Mesa. The city of Oceanside will be hardest hit, based on its nearly 7,000 bookings in fiscal year 1989-90, which would cost the city more than $1 million.

Escondido was next in booking amounts with 3,651, which would cost $562,254. El Cajon ranked third with 3,561 bookings, which would cost $548,394.

County officials expect to raise about $5.2 million a year in fees. So far, about 40 of the state’s 58 counties have decided to raise the fees.

Of nine counties that San Diego county officials surveyed, the $154 fee was tied for the highest amount with Orange County, which will begin charging in July. Los Angeles County charges $114.66 per booking, retroactive to July 1. Riverside and Ventura counties charge $120, and San Bernardino County charges $122.90, all also retroactive.

San Diego County and other counties were given the authority to charge fees to cities and school districts for collecting property taxes.

In a report submitted to the board, county officials said budget reductions by the state have cut the county’s 1990-91 budget by $708.7 million, most notably in mental health programs, child welfare services and trial-court funding.