SIMI VALLEY : Council Opposes Higher Booking Fees

The Simi Valley City Council voted Monday to formally oppose a Ventura County ordinance that would increase a fee charged to cities for booking and processing prisoners into the County Jail.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the booking fee in September over the objections of city officials who said their municipalities could not afford it. The board said it had little choice because of state budget cuts and adopted a resolution to impose the booking fee at a rate of $120 for each arrested person, retroactive to July 1, 1990.

The county is proposing to renew the booking fee and to increase it to $150 per person arrested, effective July 1. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the issue today.

So far, the city of Simi Valley has been billed for $98,040 in booking fees for the period of July 1, 1990, through Feb. 28, 1991, according to a city staff report. All 10 county cities owe a total of $635,520 to the county for fees incurred during this period.

No payments have been made to date, said Tom Mahon, the county’s assistant auditor-controller.

“We have sent out an invoice every month to each of the cities,” Mahon said, “and every city has responded that they do not think they should pay it for various reasons.”

He said the county can withhold money due to the cities if the booking fees are not paid.

Simi Valley City Councilman Bill Davis said he doesn’t think the county’s 10 cities should pay the fees.

“The county is saying if they don’t get the money, they are going to go broke,” Davis said. “Well, the cities need that money too.”

Davis suggested that all the county’s cities join in filing a lawsuit against the county challenging the booking fees.

“If they want an out-and-out battle, then we’re going to give it to them,” he said.