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Freedom and private property rights won out over the mosquito control
district Tuesday night.
County commissioners, expressing their concern with parts of the
proposal that would allow mosquito control agents to access private
property and to invoke tax levies without a vote of the people,
first allowed the idea to die for lack of a motion. Then, at the
urging of the county attorney, they voted against placing the issue
on the September ballot.
The commissioners at first considered delaying their decision because
of their disappointment with the turnout at the public hearing.
That point also was raised by Grant Rodkey, a Spokane Valley dentist,
who spoke out against establishing the district.
"I am embarrassed this room isn't full of property owners,"
Rodkey said.
He added that he hates taxes, but he hates the loss of his property
rights even more.
"This is an issue of freedom," he said.
Rodkey was one of seven people speaking out against the measure.
Only one spoke in favor. That was Dr. Kim Thorburn, director of
Spokane Regional Health District, who said taking measures to kill
mosquito larvae is part of preventing the outbreak of West Nile
virus in the state.
"The health district is concerned with disease prevention,"
Thorburn said.
Most of those attending, with one exception, acknowledged the threat
of mosquito-borne diseases. However the powers the unelected mosquito
control board would have were a concern.
According to Jim Emacio, county attorney, district agents could
enter property with or without permission; it could condemn property
to abate a public nuisance; it could levy any amount of tax it felt
it needed to continue operations; it could file liens on property
to pay for abatement if the owner could not pay; and if the public
didn't like the district and wanted to get rid of it, they would
have to go back to the polls and have a 66-percent favorable vote
to dissolve it. It only takes a 51-percent approval to establish
the district, Emacio said.
Carolyn Picket suggested that the district would be unconstitutional.
"This is another level of governance to take away power and
rights from the people," Picket said.
Richard Reid of the Sierra Club said he was concerned about the
biological hazard due to the types of larvicide being used.
"Such a high power is a risk in itself," he said.
Jeanne Dammarell, who represents the Neighborhood Alliance of Spokane
County, took a little different angle in opposing the district.
Reading from a prepared statement, Dammarell suggested that the
Spokane Regional Health District is the appropriate agency to deal
with the West Nile Virus problem.
"We think that funding additional staff within the health
district to specialize in handling the mosquito problem would be
a more efficient use of resources,"
Dammarell said. "Establishing a separate control district
in a dry-land county that lacks large irrigation districts is unreasonable
overkill."
She also suggested the law requiring mosquito districts should
be addressed.
That point was shared by Commissioner Phil Harris who said the law
was bad and that the county should lobby the Legislature to either
get it rewritten or to come up with a new law.
"It's wrong to tax the public to solve a problem on government
land," Harris said. "government agencies should take care
of their own problems."
Responding to Commissioner Todd Mielke's suggestion to delay a decision
to get more citizen input, Commissioner Mark Richard said that wasn't
going to change his mind.
"Not additional amount of input is going to make me change
my mind," Richard said. "There's no control over the money,
the materials used or the methods. This goes against my grain. It
is not a vehicle I am ready to support."
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By
CHARLIE PLUMB
