Paso Robles landowners protest groundwater fees in petition
Petition says Paso Robles vote misleads rural property owners
– A group of property owners who rely on the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin has launched a petition seeking to suspend the ongoing Proposition 218 vote organized by the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority.
The petition, which was made public June 30, alleges the process violates constitutional rights, does not meet legal notice requirements, and misleads rural landowners about financial impacts. Rural residential properties use about 2 percent of the groundwater from the basin, with most of that returned to the ground through recharge.
According to the petition, which is available at https://sites.google.com/view/prop218petition, multiple violations of Proposition 218 are outlined. The measure guarantees property owners the right to protest or vote on new or increased fees attached to their properties. The petition states that rural domestic pumpers—the largest class of basin overliers—were not notified about their inclusion in the PRAGA budget or informed of their protest rights. This is despite language in the rate study stating, “Primary rates apply to rural domestic pumpers.”
“This process is fundamentally flawed and in direct violation of Proposition 218,” the petition states. “It constitutes a bait-and-switch and a gross abuse of public trust.”
The coalition claims PRAGA representatives previously assured landowners that rural residential or “de minimis” pumpers would not be charged under the new program created to meet requirements of the State Groundwater Management Act. However, the approved budget assigns a portion of primary rate responsibilities to those users.
The petition also argues that not all Groundwater Sustainability Agencies are participating equally in PRAGA, resulting in unequal distribution of costs and benefits across the basin.
“The vote not only excludes thousands of impacted landowners,” the petition continues, “but unlawfully assumes protest rights on their behalf through local GSAs without specific and individual consent. That is a direct violation of due process and the constitutional intent of Proposition 218.”
Citing court rulings including Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. v. City of Salinas and Beutz v. County of Riverside, the petition claims any rate structure adopted through this process could be legally challenged as unconstitutional.
“This is a textbook case of government overreach,” said a spokesperson for the petition effort. “PRAGA cannot be allowed to impose financial burdens, now or in the future, in the form of contributions, cash, or other, on property owners through delegation and without proper notice.”
The petition calls for the immediate suspension of the Proposition 218 vote and demands equal treatment for all property owners in the basin. Coalition members stated that if no action is taken, they will support legal action to halt the vote.
“This is black and white, letter of the law,” stated a coalition spokesperson. “The question is: do they care enough about those impacted to make the right call?”
The petition is available online at https://sites.google.com/view/prop218petition.
Does this mean,I should stop paying my Fire Fee? hahahhh.
who is PRAGA? Who actually sits on this board?
Does this mean,I should stop paying my Fire Fee? hahahhh.
who is PRAGA? Who actually sits on this board?