REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 24, 2026
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Introduction of the Proposed Annual County Fee Ordinance and Consider Construction Fee Schedules for Fiscal Years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Conduct a public hearing on the proposed annual County Fee Ordinance and the Construction Fee Schedules for Fiscal Years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29, containing necessary revisions to the fees.
2. Make alterations, if necessary, to proposed ordinance.
3. Approve introduction of proposed ordinance.
• An ordinance of San Bernardino County, State of California, to amend Chapters 1 and 2 of Division 6 of Title 1 of the San Bernardino County Code, relating to setting fees charged by the County for Fiscal Years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.
4. SCHEDULE ORDINANCE FOR FINAL ADOPTION ON TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026, on the Consent Calendar.
5. Consider Construction Fee Schedules for Fiscal Years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29, and direct staff to return to the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution that adopts the Construction Fee Schedules for Fiscal Years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29 on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, on the Consent Calendar.
(Presenter: Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
County fee revenue is projected to be $229.4 million for 2026-27. This includes changes to fees driven by several factors, including Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Memoranda of Understanding; insurance; and the annual number of productive hours, as calculated by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (ATC) and others, to ensure full cost recovery. Fee revenue will enable the County to recover costs incurred to provide products and services to members of the public, businesses, and other government agencies. Appropriation and revenue related to the fees will be included in each respective departments’ 2026-27 recommended budget and future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A multi-year cycle for Board approval is introduced this year, establishing most fees for 2026-27 along with increases for the subsequent two fiscal years for eligible fees, to balance financial oversight with efficiency. Flexibility to make adjustments will be maintained to bring forward off-cycle fee changes for approval, when needed.
County Policy 05-01 (Budget Policy) states that the full cost of service should be calculated for all County services to provide a basis for setting fees or charges. Although the full cost fee amount is calculated, a lower fee amount is sometimes recommended by the department. A lower fee amount will occur when a service is mandated and the fee amount is limited by law, or when a market analysis shows that the full cost fee is not competitive with other service providers (e.g., fees charged by the County Museum). In these instances, the department identifies other funding sources for the portion of the services the fee does not recover. During the review process, departments were encouraged to review fees that have high volume and/or are the most impactful to ensure annual costs are being recovered. Departments were also directed to comply with Proposition 26, which generally requires that fees not be higher than the cost of the activity and/or service provided, unless an exception applies as indicated in the proposition.
On March 10, 2026 (Item No. 62), a Fee Workshop with the Board was conducted to discuss the proposed fees. The Board provided feedback and direction to prioritize affordability while continuing progress toward cost recovery over time. As a result, County Code Sections 16.0204, 16.0215C, 16.0215D, 16.0228, and 16.0228B for Land Use Services are updated with fee increases that do not exceed 8% across all divisions for 2026-27, excluding adjustments to four hourly rate fees, followed by 3% increases for eligible fees in 2027-28 and 2028-29. County Code Section 16.0223 for Regional Parks is also updated with fee increases that do not exceed 10% per year, as a phased path to market alignment over multiple years, balancing cost recovery with community access and affordability.
The proposed fee ordinance will go into effect 30 days after adoption with an effective date of July 1, 2026 for any new fees, following final adoption by the Board on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, except for the Regional Parks fees. Regional Parks fees are scheduled to become effective on May 15, 2026, in time for the Memorial Day weekend, one of the highest revenue-generating periods for Regional Parks.
Section 8 of the proposed fee ordinance amends the fees in County Code section 16.0204 for the Land Use Services Department - Building Inspection and Plan Review - Building and Safety. Some of these fees are based on a Construction Fee Schedule. Section 16.0204 notes that the Board will adopt the Construction Fee Schedule by resolution. This item will also conduct a public hearing on the Construction Fee Schedules for fiscal years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29, as well as directs staff to return to the Board with a resolution to adopt the Construction Fee Schedules for fiscal years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29 on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, on the Consent Calendar.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 18, 2026; Finance and Administration (Jessica Trillo, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on March 18, 2026.