County may put water fee to fall vote

A small fee assessed against properties for protecting Spokane’s drinking water could be placed on the ballot for reapproval later this year.

Spokane County commissioners on Tuesday said they are considering putting the fee before the voters in an upcoming election, possibly as soon as the primary or general elections this year.

Voters in 1985 overwhelmingly approved the assessments against parcels within the county’s Aquifer Protection Area.

The area includes property over the Spokane County portion of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer as well as lands with slopes draining toward the aquifer.

Residential property owners are assessed $15 a year if they are connected to sewers and $30 if they have on-site sewage treatment such as a septic tank system.

The fees have been used largely to offset the cost of building sewers in the Spokane Valley. They will expire at the end of 2005.

Commissioners said they could wait until next year to place the assessment on the ballot, and still have the fees renewed in time for collections in 2006.

The collections raise about $3 million a year.

The cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley have said they want proportionate shares of the collections if the fee is reapproved, the commissioners were told.

Commissioners also were told the city of Liberty Lake has so far declined to participate in reapproval of the Aquifer Protection Area.

“I’m a little disturbed Liberty Lake wouldn’t step up to the plate,” said Commissioner John Roskelley.

“We all drink out of the same faucet,” he said, referring to aquifer’s status as the sole source of drinking water for the region.

Spokane city officials said on Monday they are seeking a distribution of the funds based on population if the assessment is renewed by voters.

Currently, the city is receiving about $500,000 a year from the fees.