TRAVERSE CITY -- Grand Traverse County commissioners may consider a partial ban on a proposed $45 special assessment on septic tank owners.
County Commissioner Larry Fleis said he's prepared to offer a motion for such a ban when the board meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Governmental Center.
The motion would stop the county Board of Public Works from levying a tax on septic tanks in eight townships. Special assessments would still be allowed in Peninsula, East Bay, Acme and Garfield townships, four of the five that guaranteed $7.8 million in bond payments for the county septage treatment plant.
Elmwood Township, which also guaranteed bond payments, is in Leelanau County.
Fleis previously supported levying a countywide assessment to help address projected financial shortfalls. The plant is expected to lose $300,000 this year and up to $700,000 next year.
But Fleis favored the tax before the county board learned it had the ability to prohibit the tax, even though members didn't have authority to levy it.
"The rural townships don't want to be included in the special assessment, so they would continue paying 12 cents a gallon or whatever the fee turns out to be," Fleis said.
A $45 annual tax would replace the current 12 cents per-gallon fee that costs the owner of a 1,200-gallon septic tank $144. Fleis said he also supports the county board taking over the plant and loaning money from its general fund to cover losses.
"Given some time I think this thing will pay its own way," Fleis said.
County Commissioner Ross Richardson contends all homeowners who have septic tanks should equally share in septage plant expenses. He opposes a plant bail-out based on spending county tax dollars collected from those who already pay for service at the Traverse City-based sewage treatment plant. But he's not finding much support.
"There are a lot of people who are still around who participated in the creation of this plant, and now they act like it sprung out of the darkness one day," Richardson said. "They and their constituents don't have to take any responsibility for it."
Commissioner Beth Friend said she doesn't know how she'd vote on Fleis' motion.
"Nobody likes the special assessment district. I don't like it, but what other options are there?" Friend said. "That's what the septage finance committee is supposed to be looking at, but we're stalemated and haven't met since October. I guess everybody would just rather go off in another direction."
