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Politics & Government

Citywide Fee Increases Coming This Summer

Business license, taxi and marina berth fees are going up.

It's that time of year. San Leandro residents and business owners can look for a number of fee and tax increases come July 1, mostly based on the annual adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. The fee hikes were approved at Monday's city council meeting.

Business license fees, the Emergency Communications System (911) Access Tax and the Emergency Medical Services Tax will all increase by 1.4 percent, based on the CPI adjustment.

Staff estimate the increase in business license fees will bring $55,000 in additional revenue to the city in the coming 2012 fiscal year, while the rise in the 911 tax will bring in $35,000 and the EMS tax will  bring in $10,000. 

The fee for having an impounded vehicle released will increase from $160 to $175. It was originally slated to be bumped up to $200, in line with surrounding communities, but the council's finance committee thought the $40 jump was too drastic, according to Mayor Stephen Cassidy, who chairs the committee.

Berth rentals at the San Leandro Marina will increase by 5 percent and live-aboard fees will increase by $25 a month. Together with new storage and post office fees at the Marina, the increases are estimated to bring in $20,000 in additional revenues.

Sewer service rates will also increase by 5 percent and will generate an estimated $482,000 for the city. In addition, City Council approved a 3 percent rise in residential sewer connection fees, which is expected to bring in a total of $10,000 in new revenue.

In addition, rental fees from the new Senior Community Center could bring in $60,000, finance staff said at the May 2 meeting.

The city council also approved changes to the city's taxi fee structure. Staff said the last time San Leandro updated such fees was in 2002, and they have been working with a taxi cab representative to develop the new policies.

Local cab drivers showed up in force to the meeting, saying they were thankful for consumer increases. The base rate for taxis operating in the city, known as the flag drop, will rise from $2 to $3; the mileage rate from $2.40 to $2.60; and the wait fee from $24 an hour to $26 an hour.

At Mayor Cassidy's request, the council approved the taxicab fees to begin June 1 instead of July 1.

Not so popular with the cab drivers were approved increases in fingerprinting, background checks and driver permit fees. The fee to perform fingerprinting and background checks for taxi owners will increase from $52 to $175. San Leandro Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli said the sharp increase was a reflection of higher costs from the Department of Justice and staff time.

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