by Randy Shaw‚ Apr. 07‚ 2011

As San Francisco faces its most brutal budget cutting in history, everyone is looking for ways to either save or raise money without sacrificing essential services. One would think that an obvious strategy would be to continue a $7.00 fee on non-residents choosing to attend the city’s Botanical Gardens. After all, unlike San Franciscans, non-residents do not pay taxes to maintain the Gardens, so paying a user fee to cover the cost of their attendance seems only fair. And considering that the Board’s progressives are always looking for ways to increase revenue, charging an admissions fee to non-residents is a painless way to raise at least $250,000 to fund at-risk city services.

That logic prevailed in 2010, when the Botanical Gardens fee was first imposed. But a fee backed by former Supervisor Chris Daly in 2010 is now being opposed by his closest Board ally, John Avalos, who is sponsoring a measure to eliminate it. It’s a strange story, and the Board's decision next Tuesday could reverberate throughout the budget process.

Spotted here