Thurston County approves creation of Long Lake Management District No. 25 after contested ballots

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners voted on Nov. 4 to approve an ordinance creating Long Lake Management District No. 25 after county staff reported the results of a weighted ballot count.

Public Health and Social Services Director Jen Freiheit told the board that 451 ballots were counted on Oct. 30 (a roughly 30% turnout). "Of the total weighted ballots in favor, it was 112,674, which equates to 80% in favor when it comes to the weighted per RCW," she said, adding that weighted ballots against totaled 27,782 (20%). The straight ballot totals were 260 in favor (58%) and 191 against (42%).

Why it matters: creation of the district allows a Lake Management District (LMD) steering committee to begin operating and to propose a role of assessments to fund lake management activities. Those proposed assessment rates will be considered in a separately noticed public hearing set for Dec. 2. The board and staff emphasized the formation step is distinct from finalizing assessment rates.

Public comments at the hearing focused on the fairness of the proposed tax structure. Chad Booth, a Lake Forest resident who said he worked directly with neighbors and gathered petition signatures, urged commissioners to use their authority under state law to ensure fair assessments. "The current tax plan is immensely unfair and more importantly in violation of Washington state law," Booth said, describing what he and others see as large disparities between lakeshore and non-lakeshore parcel assessments.

Aaron Danielson, representing 137 petition signers from the Lake Forest neighborhood, urged the board to "take action to remedy the unjust and unfair tax structure proposed by the LLMD steering committee." He and Booth outlined four alternate assessment methods they said would better reflect levels of access and special benefit.

Barry Halverson, cochair of the Lake Lawrence LMD and Washington State LMD coordinator, told the board that the county's role in this step is limited. "The Board of County Commissioners has no discretion on the ordinance," Halverson said, noting that the board's discretion is greater when the role of rates is before them.

Board action: The board approved the ordinance creating Long Lake Management District No. 25. The motion carried by recorded voice vote; the clerk recorded the final result as four votes in favor and zero opposed with one abstention. The board earlier set a public hearing on the draft role of assessments for Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m.

Next steps: County staff said they will facilitate follow-up meetings and will involve the prosecuting attorney's office as requested by commissioners to clarify legal constraints and options on assessment structure before the Dec. 2 public hearing.

Context: The county followed the process outlined in state law (RCW 36.61) for formation: a resolution of intent, a mailed ballot to property owners, public counting of weighted ballots, and a subsequent ordinance to create the district. The December hearing will be the chance for the public to comment on the proposed assessment roll and rate calculations.