Spokane Valley signals intent to join county’s Aquifer Protection Area renewal; county staff outline ballot timeline and potential election costs

Ben (county staff working on aquifer protection) told commissioners that the City of Spokane Valley has asked for an updated interlocal agreement before it will vote to join the county’s Aquifer Protection Area (APA) renewal. He said the APA’s interlocal has been in place since 2004 and that the county’s standard distribution of funds — first funding the county water-resources program, then sharing the remainder proportionally among participating municipalities — would remain unchanged.

Staff reminded the board of an August 5 target ballot date and said resolutions from participating jurisdictions plus the county must be submitted to Elections by May 2. Ben said a public hearing by the county is required in April to notify residents of the proposal should the board move forward.

The nut graf: Spokane Valley’s request for an updated interlocal is procedural but time-sensitive, because late changes could jeopardize inclusion on an August ballot; commissioners asked for more detail on who would pay election costs and whether the county would bear the full cost.

During the briefing a county staffer estimated that a countywide ballot could be about $350,000, though staff said the exact allocation of election costs depends on which races and measures are on the ballot; the county, municipalities and candidates may share costs depending on jurisdictions and statutes. Ben said staff will return with more detail. Commissioners and staff agreed to move the interlocal forward for consideration and to provide further information on finance and distribution.