Fair Fee Sought For Tax District Small Downtown Businesses Made Plea; Council To Decide

A few small-business owners are claiming a downtown taxing district levies assessments unfairly.

The Spokane City Council plans to put the flap to rest tonight, when it decides whether to decrease or do away with the $120 minimum fee.

Two weeks ago, more than two hours of public testimony caused the council to delay setting 1997 assessments for the downtown taxing district known as the Parking and Business Improvement Area.

At least two people who testified claimed the assessments weren’t equitable. While most property and business owners pay a rate based on square footage, there’s a $120 minimum payment.

The council is considering reducing the minimum fee or calculating all businesses’ rates on square footage.

The taxing district’s supporters said the $120 fee is based on studies that show the figure is the minimum benefit any property, no matter how small, gets from the programs.

The area formed in 1995 is similar to taxing districts used to build sewers or pave roads. Downtown businesses and property owners are taxed to pay for security, marketing and parking programs.

Mayor Jack Geraghty, who owns a consulting firm in the Flour Mill and pays the $120 fee, said he understood the small-business owners’ concerns.

“We never see any of those services,” he said. “I can see why people are concerned about it.”

Pete Fortin, deputy city manager, countered that the district is just completing its first full year of programs.

“This is the first year people have seen any benefit at all,” he said. “They’re going to see more and more of it.”

Also tonight, the council will:

Consider a $56,900 annual contract with Community Detox Services of Spokane to transport publicly intoxicated people.

Consider a $6,000-a-year lease agreement with Spokane Cellular Telephone Co. to build a transmission antenna and small power center on the northwest corner of Joe Albi Stadium.

Consider giving the Community Partners organization $30,000 to hire a consultant to help it review the city charter. The Community Partners is a citizen committee set up in 1995 to help the council establish spending priorities.

Consider extending sewers to three Yardley properties located east of Fancher Road, north of Sprague Avenue and south of Main Avenue. The properties belong to Spokane Culvert and Framing Corp., Snyder’s Bakery and Union Pacific.

“Boy, when do we stop on all this stuff and say ‘no’ to sewer extensions” outside the city limits, asked Geraghty during a recent briefing about the proposal.

“That’s why we have covenants,” said City Attorney Jim Sloane, referring to the agreements that businesses and residents must sign saying they won’t fight the city’s attempt to annex their properties.

“I understand that, Jim, but we have annexation covenants all over the place,” Geraghty said. “We provide this valuable service outside our city limits, and we have everybody else saying don’t annex.”

, DataTimes MEMO: Meeting A briefing for the City Council starts at 3:30 p.m. in the lower-level conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.