Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims long has criticized county administrative costs. She believes they're too high and hinder her ability to fight crime.

Since taking office in 2007, Mims has said that she could stretch budget dollars if she were allowed to contract for services and make purchases on her own without going through the county's General Services division.

Most notably, she has said that the county charges more for fuel than the price she could buy it elsewhere.

County Administrative Officer John Navarrette has countered that General Services delivers the best deals.

Now Mims is resurrecting her claims but in a different context. Mims says it's unfair to charge groups that contract for sheriff's deputies to patrol neighborhoods or serve as campus officers a share of the county's overhead costs.

"This is charging for services that are going to exist anyway," Mims told The Bee's Kurtis Alexander. "I feel like we're gouging our public."

Mims said this in explanation of why her office had undercharged Fig Garden Police Protection residents $431,000 for extra patrols between January 2008 and October 2012.

The sheriff may "feel' like the public is being gouged, but she shouldn't cut special deals based on her sentiments. Mims, instead, should charge exactly what it costs to provide contract deputies -- neither a penny less nor a penny more.

Supervisor Andreas Borgeas, whose district includes Fig Garden, said it best: "It's inappropriate for taxpayers to have to subsidize the cost of private-security enhancement."

In the world of government budgets, the more people that bear the burden of overhead, the better it is for everybody. And, as sheriff, Mims should know that providing favors can erode public confidence in the integrity of the badge -- especially when favors are dispensed to the politically powerful and well-heeled.

By her actions, Mims -- who has tangled with the Board of Supervisors many times over finances and budget authority -- has invited more scrutiny of her office.

She should have apologized for making a mistake on the Fig Garden billing instead of pointing the finger at administrative costs.