Jul. 21--The cost of home security is going up in Palm Beach County.

Both the registration and renewal fees that thousands of home and business owners with alarm systems pay to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office each year are on the rise.

County commissioners are poised to approve Tuesday a 400 percent increase in the fee, from a $5 renewal charge to $25. Application fees to burglar alarm users will rise from $18 to $25.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and top county managers are seeking the fee hike -- the latest county move to shift the payment of some public services from property taxes to user fees.

Bradshaw contends the hike is justified, noting that what's now collected from the fee, about $500,000 a year, doesn't come close to covering what his department spends on its Alarm Enforcement Unit. In addition, he said, the fee has never increased in its 16 years.

Still, the potential new charges, which would go in place Oct. 1, are already causing a buzz among security company operators. Some alarm system managers are worried the fee hike will scare away new customers or irritate clients already reeling from homeownership costs like insurance and taxes.

"It's a good program but I'm not so sure they should be raising the charges for it," said Steve Rosenthal, general manager of a Sonitrol alarm system franchise that operates throughout Palm Beach County. "I don't think the public is going to like it too much. I don't think they'll be happy at all. I don't see why the increase should be happening."