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Committee deadlocks on measure to levy property assessments for state‑owned dam maintenance
Summary
The Ways and Means panel split evenly on HB 1655, a proposal to fund state dam maintenance through assessments on properties abutting dams, leaving the measure in limbo. Supporters said the state needs a stable funding stream to prevent catastrophic failures; opponents called the measure unfair to adjacent property owners who do not solely benefit.
Representative Ford introduced HB 1655, which would establish a funding source to pay for maintenance of state‑owned dams by assessing properties that abut those dams.
Sponsors and backers described the proposal as "preventive medicine" for public infrastructure: many state dams require significant capital work and deferred maintenance can lead to costly repairs or public‑safety threats if a structure fails. Proponents noted individual dam projects can cost millions and argued the state must identify sustainable revenue beyond ad hoc supplemental appropriations.
Opponents questioned fairness. Several members said the primary beneficiaries of a dam — downstream communities, recreational users and non‑resident visitors — are broader than the immediate abutters who would shoulder the assessment. Representative Opel and others recommended an interim study or a more broadly distributed funding mechanism rather than a property assessment limited to waterfront owners.
In executive session the committee recorded a 9–9 tie on a motion to refer the bill to interim study (the tie left no prevailing motion). The chair indicated procedural options and the clerk recorded the tie; committee leadership later assigned majority and minority report authors to reflect the split and preserve the record.
What’s next: Because the committee deadlocked, the bill will be reflected in the committee reports (majority and minority positions were assigned) and sponsors indicated they may pursue alternate revenue designs in future sessions.
Quotes: "If one of these things fails, it's going to be a lot of money — preventative is the right approach," Representative Spar said. Representative Opel responded, "Simply imposing a tax on those people who own property around the lake ignores the fact that the entire community benefits."
