Paso Robles to cover $48,000 share after regional groundwater fee fails

Paso Robles — The Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority’s (Praga) effort to establish a Proposition 218 fee to pay for groundwater sustainability implementation failed after a majority of affected parcels filed written protests, Praga staff reported at the City Council meeting Tuesday.

Praga completed a cost-of-service study and proposed a 5-year charge that would have targeted agricultural and other non-de minimis groundwater users. Utilities Director Christopher Luckler told the council that 731 protests were received out of 1,281 subject parcels, a level that under Prop 218 prevents adoption of the fee.

The failed Prop 218 process leaves Praga projecting a $300,000 cash shortfall through the end of calendar 2025, Luckler said. “In accordance with the joint powers agreement, Paso Robles Groundwater Authority voted to fund baseline regulatory and administrative functions with individual GSA contributions through 2025,” he said. The city’s share of the shortfall is…