Boise City advances plan to raise non-consent towing fees after staff, industry and resident input

Boise City Council moved an ordinance to the reading calendar on changes to non-consent towing fees after staff told the council current maximums date to 2008 and no longer cover industry costs.

Planning and public-safety staff said the proposal, OD18-26, is intended to align city rules with proposed Ada County rates and to ensure reliable tow rotation service for the Boise Police Department. Ed Fritz, crime-prevention supervisor for the Boise Police Department, told council the department requests about 3,000 tows annually on its rotation and that delays in obtaining tow service pose officer and public-safety risks.

“Once an officer is on the side of a road waiting for a tow, the longer time an officer is there the more detrimental it is to their safety,” said Ed Fritz, Boise Police Department crime-prevention supervisor.

The staff package proposes a unified show-up fee of $180, an hourly labor rate of $120 for light/medium duty (with $360 for heavy duty), a mileage rate increase to $6 per mile, removal of the first free hour and elimination of the first free day of storage, plus modest after-hours and administrative fees. Staff said the change will increase a sample typical tow bill from roughly $170 under current Boise City code to about $430 under the proposed schedule in some cases, though actual bills will vary with vehicle class, labor time and storage days.

Tow operators who testified said rates had not kept pace with costs and that higher fuel, insurance and equipment costs have squeezed operators since 2008. “A company can’t make a profit with the rates where they are right now,” said Harley Luwendowski, who identified himself as a tow operator and said he provided data to staff.

Residents opposed to raising fees said higher bills would burden motorists who already face confusing signage and unexpected tows. “I don’t see how raising the price of that would be a benefit to the community,” said Justin Hughes, a Boise resident.

Council members who supported the motion stressed competing priorities: maintaining affordable costs for residents while ensuring tow companies can respond to crashes and clear roadways quickly. Council voted to move ordinance OD18-26 to the reading calendar and adopt the staff-recommended fee schedule for further consideration; the clerk recorded the motion as carried by a unanimous vote.

The ordinance language and fee schedule will appear on a future reading calendar; staff recommended a 6–12 month review and a periodic fee review process every three to five years to evaluate effects on service and bills to residents.