SAN DIEGO (AP) - Strippers and club owners in San Diego are lobbying officials to lower fees they say are already too expensive and could force some to seek work on unregulated websites.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports annual fees are scheduled to rise July 1 to $388 per stripper and $5,830 per club operator. Police say the fees are warranted given the time spent processing permits and monitoring clubs.

But industry group San Diego Hospitality and Entertainment Coalition disagrees the fees are justified.

Stripper Debra Seavello said fees were half as much a decade ago. The coalition says the annual fee for a strip club business in Los Angeles is $528.

The coalition says strippers may move to unregulated online sites where they could be vulnerable to prostitution and trafficking.

___

Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC.