Supervisors to Consider Hike in Service Fees : Government: Increased charges to use beaches, parks would help offset bankruptcy losses.

The Board of Supervisors today will consider a plan to substantially increase parking, camping and other service fees charged at county parks and beaches in an effort to close a budget gap created by the bankruptcy.

The proposed fee schedule would increase the charges for a host of services, from beach parking to picnic shelter reservations. The holiday fee for vehicle entry at county parks would jump from $2 to between $5 and $10, while the price of an annual pass to beaches and parks would rise from $30 to $75.

The county also wants to charge $1 for admission to the Orange County Zoo at Irvine Regional Park. There is currently no admission charge.

Officials said the fee increases are needed to make up for $80 million in revenue being diverted from the Harbors, Beaches and Parks division over the next 20 years to aid the county in its bankruptcy recovery.

The division also suffered a onetime cash loss of $10 million in the county’s investment pool collapse, and the state has cut its tax allocation by $4.5 million a year.

“This does more than just make up for lost revenues,” said Robert G. Fisher, director of the Harbors, Beaches and Parks division. “It’s bringing [the fees] into line with what the market generally indicates are appropriate charges.”

Many environmentalists and park-user groups support the measures, saying higher fees are the only way to keep facilities open and well maintained.

“We enjoy using the parks, and it’s worth paying extra for them,” said Judy Smoke, head of a South County equestrian club.

But the proposal--which marks the first across-the-board fee hike since the mid-1980s--was criticized Monday by some anti-tax activists, who said the county should focus on trimming the bureaucracy and privatizing park services.

“We don’t need to raise fees and cut services. We need to cut county salaries,” activist Bill Ward said. “I don’t think they get it.”

Under the proposed schedule, a few fees would remain unchanged, including the $2 charge for vehicles entering county parks on weekdays. But many other fees would rise. Picnic shelter reservations for a group of up to 50 people would jump from $25 to $50, while rates for groups of 251 to 500 people would go from $150 to $400.

Together, the fees would generate an extra $800,000 a year for the park division, bringing total fee revenue to $2.8 million. But Fisher said the new charges would only cover 22% of the $12.9 million it costs to operate the county’s more than 30 parks, beaches and historical facilities.

The schedule was developed over the last few months by examining the fees charged for comparable services in other counties and jurisdictions. “We did not try to match them totally,” Fisher said. “We wanted to come close to it without necessarily equaling it.”

For example, the county’s new $50 fee for an annual park pass would still be less than the state’s $75 charge, and Los Angeles County’s $90 fee. But Sacramento County charges only $40 for an annual pass.

The proposed $12 camping fee is equal to Riverside County’s, but $2 more than San Bernardino’s and $5 more than what the state charges.

Without the fee increase, the county would have to consider reducing service levels or cutting hours of operation at some facilities. “Something would have to give,” Fisher said.

Already, the bankruptcy has forced the parks division to push back plans for parks in Upper Newport Bay and the Bolsa Chica area.

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The Board of Supervisors will vote today on a plan to increase dozens of fees charged at county harbors, beaches and parks. Here are some of the proposed changes:

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Existing Proposed Weekend vehicle entry at developed park $2 $4 Holiday vehicle entry at developed park 2 5-10 Beach parking .75/hr 1/hr Annual pass to county beaches and parks 30 75 Regular camping 10 12 Camping for senior citizens and disabled 5 10 Picnic shelter reservation for up to 50 people 25 50 Orange County Zoo admission Free 1*

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* Ages 5 and younger still will be allowed in free.

Source: County of Orange; Researched by SHELBY GRAD / For The Times