The Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury is calling for more transparency in how cities set and adjust fees.
Last year, there was a sharp fee hike for construction in Santa Rosa’s historic districts. It led to public outcry and resignations. A new report from the grand jury finds that Santa Rosa did follow the legal process in adjusting its fees. That’s despite some fees increasing by more than a thousand percent.
However, jurors say the process of adjusting fees could have been made clearer, adding that the lack of clarity led to the backlash.
