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SLO County fees skyrocket following more than 8% salary increases

November 29, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County residents will see many fees skyrocket in 2024, with county staff forecasting a 9% increase in revenue from fees. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday to approve the bulk of requested fee increases, with plans to bring proposed fee increases regarding building and planning back early next year.

Staff’s reasoning for the increases is to cover the cost of providing permits and other services. In 2022, the county projected an 8.1% increase in county payroll, boosted primarily by large increases in the salaries of management staff and officials.

While many departments elected not to raise fees, the Planning and Building Department fees are slated to raise by 21% and SLO County Parks by 103%. Of the 2,519 fees currently in the county, 25% are expected to increase and 3% to decrease. In addition, the county plans to add 47 new fees and delete 22 fees.

During Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg questioned proposed increases in building fees while the county is promoting an increase in low-cost housing. She wanted to pull three planning and building fees for further review: the technology fee, the initial deposit fee and the consultant management fee.

After noting that their constituents are already facing steep cost of living increases, Supervisor Debbie Arnold said she was opposed to the fee increases without first looking at cutting costs.

Ortiz-Legg then made a motion to approve all proposed fee increases aside from the planning and building department fees, which will be discussed in January or February.

The board then voted 3-2 to approve the motion, with supervisors John Peschong and Arnold dissenting.


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We have been trying to ease the affordable housing crisis and homelessness by building an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) on our property. Between the incompetent state not releasing the $50,000,000.00 to help qualifying homeowners build ADU’s, skyrocketing interest rates and the red tape and exorbitant fees SLO County requires already, this increase has probably put the last nail in the coffin for our dream. This ADU would have housed our fully disabled adult family member. All talk, no action from all politicians everywhere!


1

Perhaps if they weren’t spending millions of dollars supporting the Marijuana growers and hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting economic development in Santa Barbara County, they would have the resources to support their constituents! Can anyone say, “squirrel?”


0

Let’s not forget it’s the same three Paulding, Gibson, and Ortiz-Legg who voted for altering Proposition 13, the only protection we tax payers have against these spend and tax enthusiasts. Fees are just another way to skirt Proposition 13 and who voted these obscene increases in fees? Yep the same three. Oh and the cherry on top, this year, the three voted for 26% pay increases, only for themselves. What a mess!


2

So disgusting, several of these elected officials were elected on the premise of being fiscally conservative. Yet, all they do is keep giving huge raises to public employees. These are the highest paid public employees in the region.


6

There are very few true fiscal conservatives left in government. Republicans in congress were more than happy to completely blow up the national debt to pay for tax cuts for rich fat cats when they had a faux-conservative as president. There is no party for true conservatives any more.


2

Why are you surprised as you elected people who love spending your money and getting more for themselves. Why does the parks require a 113% increase not that complicated job. Raise building fees and take twice as long to bless them then if you say everything is built right and something goes wrong you who blessed it are not liable So it boils down to Government spends your money foolishly and is totally not responsible for their actions. You would vote these people in again which is sad


33

Government serves Government. It’s just Monopoly money to theses greedy pigs.


61

Darn MAGA Republicans and their fiscal irresponsibility are to blame ; ). Gotta blame someone, Paulding knows.


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