The Columbia County Commissioners are in the mood to change the 1996 Depletion Fee Ordinance that the Voters voted for and passed. The count was 9698 yes to 6702 no vote's. I guess that it really doesn't matter if they change the ordinance; they have not allowed the Enforcement Officer to enforce the ordinance as it was written and passed. Ignoring his pleas to allow him to do his job, ignoring his requests to follow the law, placing him between a rock and a hard spot allowing him to enforce certain laws but not all laws. Sending mixed messages to everyone involved strange, way to handle the business of the county.

The spin being used by the commissioners to justify the blatant disregard of the citizens' voice through the ballot box, is, "the ordinance was never meant to be used to collect depletion fees from any corporation other than the surface mining industry, 2. Two Commissioners opinion was that the voters were not intelligent enough to understand the levy, that is why the ordinance passed, in other words Commissioner Tony Hyde and Commissioner Bernhard insinuated that the voters were not intelligent enough to make a sound decision on the issue. 3. The ordinance (parts of it) needs to be interpreted by County Council, (Interpreted to suit the Commissioners). These are just a few of the excuses that the Board of Commissioners are using to justify their intent to over rule the vote of the people.

A number of voters' have been addressing the depletion fee issue, and the lack of enforcement, for about ten years now; in fact the lack of enforcement has been brought up. There has been discrimination between the various corporate industries; why were some industries were charged depletion fees while others were not? The ordinance clearly states (all natural mined minerals that are mined in the county or naturally mined minerals that are brought in to the county are subject to depletion fees.)

What is interesting is, this ordnance was crafted and submitted to the voters by the Board of County Commissioners, now they do not want to abide by their own legal language and are zealously trying to delete selected words/wording in the ordinance to suit their own agenda's which benefit huge corporations; taking monies owed to the county coffers away from the under- funded County Road Dept.

The lack of enforcement on rock depletion fees' has cost the County coffers well over $250,000.00 per year that should have been designated for much- needed road repair, bridges, and guardrails, to name a few. The monies uncollected from the other corporate industries such as the US Gypsum plant, which brings gypsum into the facility at Rainier by sea -going tankers, could be well above this $250,000.00 figure. There is also a proposed coal -regasification plant planned at Port Westward, Clatskanie, which would be using vast amounts of coal brought in by rail and barge, the coal would fall under the current depletion fee ordnance, and would be a tremendous source of revenue for the County Road Dept.; unfortunately the Commissioners will want to remove coal from the list of naturally mined material listed in the ordinance. Costing you, the taxpayer decently maintained roads.

I do not understand who these commissioners actually work for you, or the corporations that have been lured into this county with corporate welfare incentives, it is bad enough that the tax payers of this county has to subsidize corporate profit thru huge tax breaks, cheep wages and non union shops, you are losing money guaranteed for your roads that you voted yes to, by commissioners who would rather thwart your vote when they are not in agreement with the voice of the people. The voters spoke loud and clear in 1996, it is to bad that the voice of the people fell on deaf ears of elected officials who have forgot who they represent, who pays their wages, and what their job is. Whether they personally agree with the voters voice or not, it is their responsibility to carry out the wishes of their constituency, rather than be loyal to corporations and their own personal agenda.

As a taxpayer, a voter, I am outraged with the actions of the Board of County Commissioners, their apparent disregard of enforcing the Depletion Fee Ordinance of 1996 and this blatant attack on the voice of the voter. I would hope that who ever reads this article would be as out raged as I, and make a call to the Commissioners office and express your concerns.
If the Commissioners want to change the 1996 Depletion Fee Ordinance than they need to take it back to the voters and let the voters decide if they want to make any changes, that is the way a democracy usually works.

                                                      TAMMY

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