Cities to ask residents to pay more

Residents in every Clark County city will likely see their bills increase in 2011, either through property taxes or utility rates.

Nearly every city in the county is proposing to increase property taxes by 1 percent. Initiative 797, approved by voters in 2001, limits property tax increases to 1 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is lower.

The only exceptions are Camas and Washougal. Both cities have already reached the statutory limit for property taxes and cannot increase taxes in 2011.

Every city is also proposing a utility rate or tax increase to pay for maintenance, repairs and capital projects.

Here are details of the proposed 2011 budgets. None of the city councils has adopted their budget.

Battle Ground

• General fund: $10 million; all funds: $24.7 million.

• Property taxes: 1 percent increase.

• Utilities: Water, sewer and stormwater utility taxes increase from 16 percent to 18 percent.

• Upcoming meetings: Presentation to city council Monday. Public hearing Nov. 15. Council may adopt the budget Dec. 6.

The utility tax increases will cost residents an additional $13 per year, Finance Director Catherine Huber Nickerson said.

The revenue from the increases will go into the general fund to help cover the operations of the city. The city also trimmed expenses (about 2 percent across the board), instituted a hiring freeze and used some money from reserves, Huber Nickerson said.

Camas

• General fund: $15.8 million; all funds: $49.3 million.

• Property taxes: No increase. The city has reached the statutory limit for property taxes due to dropping assessed values, City Administrator Lloyd Halverson said.

• Utilities: 11 percent increase for stormwater; 3 percent increase for water; 11 percent increase for sewer; 3 percent increase for garbage; no increase for recycling.

• Upcoming meetings: Work session Monday. Public hearing on Dec. 6. Council may adopt the budget Dec. 6.

The declining assessed value of homes means the city is expecting to lose about $720,000 in property taxes, Halverson said. The utility rate increases, which were approved in December 2009, are to pay for capital projects, such as the current wastewater system upgrade project, he said.

La Center

• General fund: $4 million; all funds: $6.5 million.

• Property taxes: 1 percent increase.

• Utilities: Monthly sewer increase of $4 (public hearing set for February).

• Upcoming meetings: Public hearings on Nov. 10 and Nov. 22. Council may adopt the budget Dec. 8.

The sewer increase would cover general maintenance and operations of the sewer system. The city has trimmed expenses in all areas except salary and benefits, which are tied to contracts, Finance Director Suzanne Levis said.

Ridgefield

• General fund: $2.8 million; all funds: $13.8 million.

• Property taxes: 1 percent increase.

• Utilities: Stormwater rate increase from $4.50 to $5 per month; water and sewer utility taxes increase from 6 to 8 percent.

• Upcoming meetings: Public hearings Thursday and Nov. 18. Council may adopt the budget Dec. 2.

The increase in water and sewer utility taxes (an additional $1.40 per month for customers) will generate about $35,300, which will be transferred to the street fund for street repair and replacement projects, City Manager Justin Clary said. The increase in the stormwater rate will generate about $21,000 to fund utility operations, he said.

Vancouver

• General fund: $171.6 million; all funds: $444.9 million.

• Property taxes: 1 percent increase.

• Utilities: 9 percent increase for sewer.

• Upcoming meetings: Public hearing and council adoption Monday.

The sewer rate increase is necessary to pay the system’s debt, according to Natasha Ramras, the city’s budget and planning manager. The increase will cost an average residential customer $2.56 per month in 2011 and $2.10 a month more in 2012, when the city will implement a 6.5 percent increase, she said.

Washougal

• General fund: $11.7 million; all funds: $32.2 million.

• Property taxes: No increase. The city has reached the statutory limit for property taxes, City Administrator David Scott said.

• Utilities: 13.5 percent increase for water; 28.5 percent increase for sewer; 14.5 percent increase for stormwater.

• Upcoming meetings: Budget workshop on Nov. 8. Public hearing on Nov. 15. Council may adopt the budget Nov. 15 or Dec. 6.

The utility increases are driven by required capital expenditures, Scott said. The water, sewer and stormwater systems require enhancements in order to remain in compliance with state and federal regulations, he said. The increases will also help the city meet its existing debt service and make the city more competitive when it seeks financing for future replacement projects, Scott said.

Woodland

• General fund: $4.1 million; all funds: $13.5 million.

• Property taxes: 1 percent increase.

• Utilities: 22 percent increase for sewer; 7 percent increase for water.

• Upcoming meetings: Public hearing on utility increases Monday. Public hearing on the budget on Nov. 22. Council may adopt the budget Dec. 6.

The water and sewer increases will finally get the two utilities operating in the black and will cover basic repairs and maintenance, City Clerk Mari Ripp said. In 2009, the city changed its sewer rate structure, which caused rates to fall from $68 per month to about $59 per month for an average user.

In the last two years, the city has used about $400,000 in reserves to make up for the shortfall. The city has also supplemented the water utility with $1.1 million during a six-year span (2003-2008) and faces a $100,000 shortfall this year, Ripp said.

Marissa Harshman: 360-735-4546 or marissa.harshman@columbian.com.