Countywide : County Might Bill Cities for Jail Fees

County officials, nervous about continuing budget uncertainty in Sacramento, are preparing for the worst.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will be asked to bill each city in the county for the cost of booking their prisoners into Orange County Jail over the past 12 months.

Despite strong objections from city officials, county budget officers are recommending the action to avert possibly losing more than $6 million in state funds.

Supervisors last year approved charging cities $154 for each of their prisoners booked at the county jail, but delayed collecting the fee till July 1, letting the cities off the hook for the past 12 months.

During the Legislature’s contentious budget talks in Sacramento, some state officials have raised the possibility of revoking counties’ rights to levy the booking fee and replacing the lost money based on how much counties have raised through the fee during the current fiscal year.

If that happens, Orange County could lose out on more than $6 million a year by not billing the cities this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

“We’re trying to protect ourselves,” said county budget officer Ronald S. Rubino.

“We’re going to bill the cities because it could be that only counties who billed it will get recovery” of the booking fee revenue.

The cities may get the chance, however, to simply throw those bills away once they get them. The county would act to collect them only if state lawmakers reject the bailout legislation.

“This is probably the best example we’ve seen so far of the insidious nature of this whole process,” said Bill Hodge, executive director of the League of California Cities, Orange County division. “The whole thing is ridiculous.”