HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04021991 - 1.22 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS sF L Contra
f•.,:,\
FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Costa
;X` `., iz
f° Count
March 25, 1991
DATE:
SUBJECT: LEGISLATION - SB 61 (Cecil Green)
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)6 BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOrIIOMATION
Continue to OPPOSE SB 61 ( Cecil Green) as amended February 27,
1991 .
BACKGROUND:
The Board of Supervisors recently took positions in opposition to
most of the legislation which has been introduced to repeal
either the jail booking fee or property tax administration fee or
both. SB 61 was one of these bills which would have repealed the
jail booking fee and which the Board voted to oppose.
On February 27 , 1991, SB 61 was amended. As amended, SB 61 would
still repeal the booking fee. However, in an effort to replace
this loss of revenue, SB 61 would authorize counties to impose an
additional assessment at a rate of $2 for every $10 of fines,
penalties and forfeitures imposed and collected by the courts for
all criminal offenses, including all Vehicle Code violations,
except for parking or registration violations or offenses by
pedestrians or bicyclists.
While the fact that Senator Green provided an alternative source
of revenue is greatly appreciated, it is recommended that the
Board continue to oppose SB 61 for the following reasons:
1. The penalty assessment already equals $13 . 50 for every $10
in fines imposed. Thus, for instance, a $20 fine actually
Al
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMEMS YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): I(Jo `�/5� �/ly
ACTION OF BOARD ON April 2, 1991 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County Administrator ATTESTED APR 7, "�QQ 1
Sheriff-Coroner PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
County Counsel
SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
George Roemer, Director
Justice Systems Programs
Les Spahnn
M382 (10/88) SRJ. Jackson, Barish & Assoc. BY �� DEPUTY
costs $47 when all of the existing penalty assessments are
added. This rate is now so high that it is making it
difficult to collect all of the fines, thus jeopardizing the
many programs which are currently financed out of penalty
assessments. To add another $2 might have the effect of
simply overwhelming the entire system.
2. There are a number of other valuable programs which have
been suggested for a 50 cent or $1 increase in the penalty
assessment as a mechanism of financing where there is no
other identifiable source for funding the program. To add
this much to the penalty assessment for the booking fee
would probably preclude any possibility of these other
programs being funded from the penalty assessment.
3 . SB 61 does not attempt to address the statewide, fundamental
structural problems in the financing of local government.
The Board has previously indicated that inclusion of at
least some elements of structural reform in the financing of
local government is a prerequisite for supporting the repeal
of either the booking fee or property tax administration
fee.
In view of these objections to SB 61 as amended, it is
.recommended that the Board continue to oppose SB 61 unless and
until these concerns are addressed.