Surely Island County commissioners will not assess to non-city parcels “a clean water utility tax … an annual fee in the neighborhood of $32 to $47 per parcel in unincorporated Island County (to) fund a series of water protecting programs.”

State law contains chapters on public utility districts and how and for what private property can be charged — none encompass what the Island County commissioners are suggesting. The commissioners should contact the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for clarification.

From the get-go the very idea that unincorporated Island County parcels should be charged for the cleaning water contaminated mostly by development runoff is far fetched. At least the current “unpopular $62 septic fee” is related to pollution.

Maxine Keesling

Woodinville