COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

DATE:

April 15, 2002

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 30, 2002 - 9:00 a.m.

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Don Horsley, Sheriff

SUBJECT:

FY 2002-03 Booking Fees

Recommendation

Adopt a Resolution setting the FY 2002-03 Booking Fees at $192.00

Background

Pursuant to Government Code 29550, arresting agencies are required to pay a fee to book a prisoner into the San Mateo County Maguire Correctional Facility and any ancillary detention facilities. The fee was imposed ten years ago as the result of State legislation which allowed the Board to impose a booking fee in response to reduced State funding in other program areas (i.e. State Realignment). Booking fees are based on the actual cost to book an inmate into the jail. In San Mateo County, the booking fees have historically been finalized through a process of negotiation with the cities.

In January 1994, the law pertaining to the imposition of booking fees changed. Standardization of the methodology for computing the fees was imposed, and the cost components of the fee were strictly defined in the stature, and narrowed in scope. Certain bookings, such as for arrests resulting from Court-ordered bench warrants, were exempted from the fee. A committee comprised of city police chiefs, the Sheriff, and the County Manager met and agreed upon a booking fee rate and methodology. The rate has been adjusted periodically starting from $159 for FY 1994-95, to the current fee of $183.00.

Discussion

The current booking fee was set last May by Board Resolution 64441. The proposed increase of 5% corresponds to negotiated labor cost increases, and will help defray increased labor and operating expenses associated with booking inmates. The current fee structure is supported by a FY 1999-00 booking cost analysis performed by an independent outside accounting firm. Maximus is very familiar with booking fee regulations and perform these analyses periodically for many California jurisdictions. Maximus also produces the Countywide Overhead Cost Plan (COWCAP, or A-87 Plan) for San Mateo and most of the other 57 counties, under contract with the Controller's Office. Their analysis supports the methodology by which our booking fees have been established in recent years. The 1999-00 rate has been adjusted annually since then to reflect cost-of-living inflation.

Legislation enacted in 1999-00 allows cities to recover their booking fee expenses from the State. This legislation reimburses cities for booking fee costs paid starting in the base year of 1998-99, with an update for cost-of-living having been proposed in the legislature. It is uncertain if this legislation will be maintained intact, modified, or eliminated in the future.

This is a public hearing pursuant to Government Code sections 29550 and 54952.2. Pursuant to Chapter 910 of the Statutes of 1995, all affected agencies were notified of the increase, in writing, in February 2002, in accordance with noticing requirements.

Vision Alignment

This action aligns with Vision 2010 goals related to ensuring basic public safety for all citizens, and the goal of responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Fiscal Impact

It is anticipated that approximately $1,250,300 in revenue will be generated from booking fees next year, including the 5% fee adjustment, and this total revenue amount is included in the Sheriff's recommended FY 2002-03 budget, and helps allow the department to meet the established 2002-03 budget target.