(The Center Square) – Spokane Valley residents will vote on two taxes this August after local officials approved another for the ballot on Tuesday that would renew a $15 aquifer protection fee.
Last week, the Spokane Valley City Council voted 5-1 to put a proposed sales tax increase on the ballot for the first time in the municipality’s history. That tax hike would fund 10 new officers, while Tuesday’s bid would ensure that the city protects its sole source of drinking water.
State law allows municipalities to establish Aquifer Protection Areas, or APAs, with fees tied to water use and sewage disposal. Spokane County formed one in 1985 and renewed the fees in 2004, which local officials are asking voters to recommit for another 20 years.
“All of the other cities in the aquifer have committed to participate,” Deputy City Manager Erik Lamb said Tuesday. “On April 1, council was interested, but specifically was looking for some assurance as to how the money … would be spent.”
Over the last two decades, Spokane County has used much of its share of the revenue to develop a regional sewer system in the Valley. The ongoing effort has removed around 30,000 septic tanks and drain field systems to protect the aquifer, the county’s sole drinking water source.
The APA currently generates about $1.5 million annually, but that could rise by $1.8 million with the city of Spokane joining. It participated in the original APA but withdrew in 2004. Last week, the Spokane City Council approved putting the APA back on the August ballot.
If approved, residents will continue paying $1.25 per month for pulling water from the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer and $1.25 per month for onsite sewage disposal. The two fees could cost $30 annually for most households, $15 for water and $15 for waste.
“At least 70% of the collected revenues from the city of Spokane Valley must be returned back to the city,” Public Works Director Robert Blegen told the council. “The remaining 30% of the collected revenues can be held by Spokane County for delivery of the APA program.”
Councilmember Al Merkel had Lamb confirm for residents that reauthorizing the APA would not result in a tax increase, unlike the other sales tax proposal. Lamb said the county would levy the same rate as the last 40 years if voters approve the APA fees for another two decades.
Engineering Manager Adam Jackson said the Valley has used its revenue to improve water quality on recent construction projects. One effort replaced the outside lanes of Sprague Avenue with biofiltration swales, which aren’t required but treat stormwater that seeps into the aquifer.
Resident John Harding told the council that protecting one of the Valley’s most vital resources makes sense but wants evidence that the fees make a difference. Idaho’s Silver Valley has contaminated the Spokane River since the 1920s, but despite decades of federal cleanup efforts, the pollution remains.
“Trust the science,” Harding said. “I would like to see something, some evidence, from the EPA showing us that the process that they’re requiring us to use actually is functional and works.”
