Tax relief possible for roof damage

Property owners who suffered collapsed roofs during recent storms could be eligible for property tax relief from Spokane County if the damage exceeded 20 percent of the value of the structure.

Washington state law provides for reduced property tax assessments if property owners suffer damage or destruction from involuntary events, such as snowstorms, county spokeswoman Martha Lou Wheatley- Billeter said in a news release.

If the damage from a roof collapse decreased the value of the structure by at least 20 percent, the property owner should complete a Destroyed Property Form and send it to the Spokane County Assessor’s Office, Wheatley-Billeter said.

The forms are available on the county’s Web site, www.spokane county.org/assessor. Property owners can also call the Assessor’s Office at (509) 477-3698 to obtain the forms, which should be returned to Spokane County Assessor, 1116 W. Broadway Ave., Spokane, WA 99260.

Thomas Clouse

Kootenai county

Water rights process starts with mailing

Idaho Department of Water Resources will begin adjudicating water rights in the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane River basin this week with a mailing to 1,200 property owners in the 83869 ZIP code in the Spirit Lake area.

Through the process, water users can file claims for their existing use, which will give them clear title to the water. The cost of filing is $25 for most small domestic water users.

The adjudication “will enhance the value of a water right holder’s property by giving certainty to their water right,” said David Tuthill, director of the Department of Water Resources.

Adjudication will also help the department learn how much water in the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane River basin is being used. The information will help the state determine how and when to issue new water rights.

Water right holders can visit the department’s Web site to file their claims: www.idwr.idaho.gov/ water/North_Id_Adju/. For more information, call (208) 762-2800.

Becky Kramer

TWIN FALLS, Idaho

Schools chief supports more charter schools

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna is supporting an effort to raise the cap on the number of new charter schools that can open each year, saying the limit could deny children opportunities.

Idaho law limits the number of new charter schools to six a year. It was a measure put in place years ago amid concerns that too many charter schools in any one district would lead to declining enrollment and reduced funding at traditional schools.

Luna said more than 50 charter school petitions are in the works statewide, and 12 of them are ready or almost ready. Under the current rules, some schools would have to wait years to open, he said.

“It’s a demand situation,” Luna said. “As long as we have the demand from our customers in education that they want more charter schools, we need to respond to the demand of education.”

Idaho charter schools began opening in 1998, and now there are 31 statewide. The coalition estimates that 7,000 students are on waiting lists to attend charter schools.

Associated Press