As an elected member of the Portland Water District’s board of trustees from Portland, I am writing to correct a mistake made by Randy Wakefield of Portland in his Sept. 10 letter to the editor (“Proposed Portland storm tax is a money grab“).

Mr. Wakefield made a mistake by connecting the Portland Water District to the new stormwater fee being proposed by the Portland City Council. To be clear, the Portland Water District has no responsibility for, and will derive no income from, the city’s proposed stormwater fee. That fee is wholly the product of the City Council.

The Portland Water District is a regional water district serving 11 cities and towns and is governed by 11 independently elected trustees.

Mr. Wakefield’s mistake is understandable because the Portland Water District provides billing services for the city of Portland’s municipal sewer fees as a way to lower administrative costs associated with collecting both water and sewer fees. However, Portland’s sewer fees are set by the Portland City Council, not by the Portland Water District’s board of trustees.

Gary W. Libby

Portland


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