To the editor:

Since the first of the year, the county commissioners have approved an increase in property taxes, an increase in building permit fees, an increase in land use fees and raised fees for burn permits. Now they are going to property owners to foot the bill for the conservation districts so the districts are less dependent on grants.

Washington’s citizens will be paying $435 million more to the government in new and higher fees mandated by the governor’s office. Per the Washington State Employment Security Department’s Labor Area Summary of June 2009, Island County’s unemployment rate was 3.2 percentage points above the June 2008 rate of 5.5 percent. In the past year, employers have dropped 320 Island County residents from their payrolls, and data shows that in June, 2,960 Island County residents were looking for work. Non-farm employment is even down from last year at this time.

In fact, over-the-year job growth in Island County has been negative for 19 consecutive months. Where, exactly, do the commissioners think the voters in Island County are going to manage to come up with these funds?

The claim that a “special monetary assessment” is not a “tax” is like debating the meaning of the word “is.” Any charge, fixed by law, for the benefit of a service or to cover the cost of a regulatory program or the costs of administering a program is, in essence, a “tax.”

Raising taxes or assessing new fees during a recession is just plain unacceptable.

My property won’t receive any special benefit from the Whidbey Island Conservation District, nor the Snohomish Conservation District. These entities need to continue receiving their money from grants that are already available to them, and not Island County taxpayers who are struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

Commissioner addresses and phone numbers are available at www.islandcounty.net/commissioners/commissioners.htm. Tell the commissioners that these entities need to continue receiving their money from grants that are already available to them, and not from Island County taxpayers who are struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

Charlona M. Sawyer

Greenbank