LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors Tuesday discussed a number of funding options for short-term and long-term algae and weed abatement, including a sales tax increase and the reallocation of county funds.
The aquatic weed and algae steering committee, a group of citizens organized by the Lake County Water Resources Department to investigate abatement issues, presented its recommendations to the BOS Tuesday.
Committee member George Speake recommended that the county allocate $500,000 per year for the next seven years toward short-term mitigation and suggested three funding options available to the BOS.
The three funding options, when combined, totaled the $500,000 annual recommendation.
The committee suggested a 0.0543-percent county sales tax increase, which Speake said would generate $250,000 annually. The suggested increase would be the equivalent of a one-penny increase per $20 purchase.
BOS Chairman Anthony Farrington said that the suggested increase would be “substantially less than any tax proposal” introduced in the county.
The county would have to receive state approval to introduce a 0.0543-percent sales tax increase because the state allows sales tax increases only in increments of a quarter-cent, or 0.25 percent, according to Kelly Cox, Lake County administrator.
Any sales tax increase would be subject to the approval of Lake County voters, Cox said.
District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said he was in favor of proposing a sales tax increase. “It”s the only way outside people can help us,” he said, referencing that visitors to the county would also pay the increased sales tax.
Smith said that the 0.25-percent increase could be a better option because it would provide funding for the majority of abatement issues. “It”s the hardest sell but most equitable for everybody,” he said.
District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said the BOS would need to ensure that any revenue from a sales tax increase intended to fund Clear Lake cleanup would be explicitly applied to that issue.
Smith said that revenue from a 0.25-percent increase, or a nickel per $20 purchase, could be used to fund efforts to correct other lake issues, including the prevention of a quagga mussel outbreak.
It would take more time and effort to put the proposed 0.0543-percent increase before voters, because of the state approval process, than it would to present a proposed increase in increments of 0.25-percent, Cox said.
The committee also suggested that the county reallocate funds to use toward weed and algae abatement, in conjunction with the smaller sales tax increase.
Speake said the committee suggests the county reallocate existing resources in the amount of $199,000 annually.
Cox said the county could reallocate up to $250,000, or half of the recommended total, annually, following his review of county resources.
The third funding suggestion would be the development of a water consumption fee of $0.25 per month for residential and commercial water taken from the lake, which would contribute $51,000 annually toward the recommended total.
Speake introduced a number of potential mitigation ideas developed by the committee.
The committee recommends that the BOS make a commitment to developing a specific plan of action, direct Water Resources to develop and implement the plan and provide support for that plan, Speake said.
The $500,000 amount would be one aspect of a seven-year county commitment to short-term weed and algae mitigation efforts, which could include harvesting, use of herbicides or consideration of alternative options, Speake said.
The long-term efforts hinge on action being taken to prevent harmful nutrients from entering Clear Lake, Speake said. “We have a nutrient problem and algae and weeds are the result,” he said.
The committee reviewed many options for long-term mitigation, finding that no single solution exists, Speake said. “There is no silver bullet,” he said.
No action was taken by the BOS on Tuesday regarding weed and algae issues. Farrington did ask staff to consider the committee”s proposals and look at developing and implementing a plan and look into revenue sources.
Water Resources is scheduled to lead an update discussion during the Dec. 7 BOS meeting.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
