Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Rights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident alleges county-area groundwater dispute, title irregularities during Skagit County public comment
Summary
At a Sept. 23 public comment session, Anthony Romano alleged the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office and other agencies are affecting his grandfathered groundwater rights, cited title errors and said he incurred about $170,000 in legal fees; he requested help and presented documents.
Anthony Romano, a property owner, told the Skagit County Board of Commissioners during public comment on Sept. 23 that he is locked in a dispute over groundwater rights and alleged improper title transfers and agency action.
Romano said the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office and salmon-recovery efforts are “stealing my groundwater right” that he described as grandfathered to his property. He said he has documents, including a file he named while speaking as “file number 380898,” and that he has spent about $170,000 in attorney fees pursuing the matter. “All I wanna let everybody know that all my, that they tried getting me for the cockpit were all dismissed, every 1 of them,” Romano said during his three-minute comment.
Why it matters: Romano characterized the dispute as involving multiple state and local agencies and alleged title irregularities affecting neighboring parcels. If agency action or title errors affect property rights, affected residents commonly seek clarification from county officials or state agencies; Romano asked the commission to note his claims and the documents he offered.
Romano named several agencies and parties during his remarks, including the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Department of Ecology, and local property assessors. He also accused neighbors of title fraud and said one neighbor’s son is a local fire marshal; Romano said the allegations have led to repeated police contact that he characterized as harassment.
Romano asked the board to review the documents he presented and asked who a person named Debbie Abel is, stating he wanted clarification of various records and decisions he believes have harmed him financially and personally.
The commissioners did not take public testimony or issue a response during the comment period; the board’s procedure, as announced before the session, is not to respond during public comment and to accept written follow-ups by email or mail.
Clarifying details: Romano cited a file number he said was 380898 and referenced approximately $170,000 in attorney fees he said resulted from defending against various filings and police reports. He described his water right as “grandfathered” to his property but did not present a formal county or state adjudication during the meeting.
Ending: The county did not announce any immediate follow-up action during the Sept. 23 session. Residents can submit documents and written comments to the commissioners’ office via the county email or by mail to 1800 Continental Place in Mount Vernon.
