Santa Barbara County Fire Fighters v. County of Santa Barbara

Defendants County of Santa Barbara et al., appeal from an order partially granting the motion of plaintiff Santa Barbara County Fire Fighters to tax costs, such costs having been awarded to defendants in the remittitur affirming the judgment in Santa Barbara County Firefighters v. County of Santa Barbara et al., 2d Civil No. 50421.

Plaintiff brought this action for injunction, mandate, damages, and other relief arising out of the parties’ labor negotiations under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, Government Code section 3500 et seq. The trial court entered judgment for defendants. 1 Plaintiff appealed, and the judgment was affirmed.

As the successful respondents on that appeal, defendants were entitled to costs. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 26(a).) Among the items of costs claimed by defendants in their memorandum of costs submitted to the trial court was the cost of one copy of the reporter’s transcript on *523 appeal, $719.25. Defendants submitted a declaration by the county auditor, with supporting documents, showing the payment of that amount for the reporter’s transcript on appeal. Nevertheless the trial court denied that item of costs to defendants.

Defendants’…