The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has appointed more than 400 people to 63 boards and commissions, which operate at an annual cost of $871,154, according to a report to be presented to supervisors today.

Some of those committees are required under state or federal law, but most are optional. The non-mandatory committees alone will cost county taxpayers $696,773 this fiscal year, according to the report prepared for the Board of Supervisors by the County Executive Office.

"That's a lot of money if it's not for any good purpose," said Supervisor Peter Foy, who asked for the report to see if there are boards that are no longer necessary. "If it's really fulfilling a purpose, then maybe it's not all that much."

Twenty-five of the 63 committees operate at no cost to the county, and 20 others have budgets of $5,000 or less. The most expensive was the Assessment Appeals Board, costing $119,000 this year. The board hears appeals by property owners disputing the assessed value and taxes on their properties.

The committees are filled mostly by volunteers, although some receive small stipends or expense reimbursements. They cost the county money when they use county offices or when paid county employees do research, attend meetings, circulate agendas or otherwise help the committees.

Foy, who represents the Simi Valley, Moorpark and Somis areas, asked for the report in February, shortly after he joined the board.

The report deals only with committees that have members appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

Foy said 63 committees is "just an amazing number."

"I want us to take a hard look at every board and committee we have, to find out if they're necessary and what are the costs," he said.

At today's board meeting, Foy plans to ask fellow supervisors to divvy the list up and take a closer look at a handful of committees at a time. Some could be eliminated if they have low attendance or costs that outweigh their benefits, while others could be tweaked to bring their missions in line with the county's current problems, he said.

Foy would not say which committees he might put on the chopping block.

In the future, Foy said, he would like to give new committees a fixed term. Then, if their work is not done, the board could choose to extend their life spans.

Supervisor Kathy Long said she'd be open to putting a sunset clause on new committees. Paring down the list of committees could save money, she said, but not a significant portion of the county's $1.6 billion a year budget.

"We're not going to get rich, but are there some efficiencies? There might be," Long said. "What the board needs to look at is the purpose and accountability and productivity of those bodies."

Some of the committees on the list are independent special districts, such as cemetery districts in Simi Valley, Fillmore and Piru. They have their own budgets and run the cemeteries without answering to the county, but their members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

Other committees do work that's been delegated to them by the Board of Supervisors. The Planning Commission and Assessment Appeals Board are on that list. Their decisions stand as final unless they're appealed to the Board of Supervisors.

There are also boards that the county must participate in under state or federal law. The Workforce Investment Board is one example, as is the Developmental Disabilities Board. These are often regional bodies, with members from other counties.

Then there are the advisory committees, such as the Commission for Women or the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee. They study subjects in their areas of expertise and issue recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.