If school system pays stormwater fee, taxpayers hit twice for same service

Editor:

Levying the stormwater fees on some of the county residents was an unfair tactic superimposed on a betrayal of the citizenry by former commissioners.

Certainly it was logical in the past for the legitimately profiting builders (also known as the de-greeners of Columbia County) to assume the cost of controlling runoff, which they could pass on to the purchasers of square yardage of non-porous surface areas.

Our seeming acceptance of this betrayal is not likely to be reversed by the present commissioners, but they must not let our seeming acceptance cause them to infer that we are morons.

We know that only some of us have to pay the fees. We also know that the school system now owes more than $40,000 in fees. We also know that it is we, the taxpayers, who will be footing the school system stormwater fees. It is income from taxation.

The commissioners decided to call it a fee, not a tax. Wake up, citizens (or at least some of us): We are paying a fee and a tax for the same service.

Gene Rickaby

Martinez