Storm-Water Fee Won’t Go Before Voters

Spokane County commissioner Phil Harris says he won’t agree to repeal the county’s storm-water utility district or ask voters whether to continue the surcharge that goes with it.

“The storm-water tax is a musthave. I’m not willing to put that on the ballot,” said Harris. “People have … sanctioned the tax by nonprotest.”

Harris’ decision assures the surcharge will remain on the books, because Commissioner Skip Chilberg also favors it. Commissioner Steve Hasson calls the tax “a public scam” and wants to put it to a vote.

The surcharge costs the average homeowner in unincorporated areas $10 a year. Businesses pay much more, depending on lot size, amount of pavement and other factors.

The money, about $1.3 million a year, is used for storm-water planning and engineering, and eventually will be used to build storm-water systems.

Earlier this month, the state Department of Ecology informed Spokane city and county they must apply for permits to continue discharging runoff.

To get those permits, which will cost at least $20,000 apiece each year, the two governments must map natural drainages, create inventories of dry wells and grassy swales and plan for controlling runoff.

The county, which assumed it eventually would need a permit, used the stormwater surcharge to begin that work in 1993.

City officials, who didn’t think Spokane required a permit, will have to do much of the work before the application is due in 18 months. Then they’ll have to find money to monitor storm water and prepare studies.

The Spokesman-Review reported Jan. 25 that Harris and Hasson were teaming up to put the surcharge, along with other issues, on the ballot.

“I’m not for it or against it, I think we need to let the people be involved in that decision,” Harris said during that earlier meeting.

Harris insisted Tuesday his intentions were misinterpreted. He didn’t make a decision on the issue until late last week, he said, when he looked into how the tax money was being spent.

“I went out and asked questions and I started seeing the need,” said Harris. “Sometimes we just have to say, `Folks, it’s in place, it’s working, nobody’s protesting it, it’s a necessity.”’