Love to Picnic? Ride the Bus? It'll Cost You More

Love spending Saturdays in the park? It'll cost you just a little bit more, thanks to rate hikes designed to fill in the Sonoma County budget.

The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a roster of hundreds of rate hikes, including increases in bus fares, picnic license fees and airport parking.

All in all the fees will add up to an estimated $1.5 million in revenue, helping to shore up Sonoma County's $10.4 million budget shortfall.

But increases to developer fees drew criticism from building industry associations, reports the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, who issued a letter predicting a "crippling effect" efforts to develop the region.

Other fee increases included a 5.8 percent increase on adult bus fare and a $1 increase on park day use fees.