Pocono News Section

Levee fee lawsuit

Levee fee lawsuit - Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 5:43PM EST

Thursday, Jun 4, 2009 @ 05:43pm EST

A new Luzerne County levee fee should flow through more communities.

That's what the mayor of Kingston thinks and the borough is preparing a lawsuit.

Luzerne County levee fee bills will soon flow into the mailbox of homeowners like Lynn in Kingston .

She's ok with the fee.

Lynn says, "Sure, yeah, a portion, I don't think a hundred dollars but everybody enjoys the river."

But Kingston mayor Jim Haggerty thinks more communities should pitch in.

Kingston borough will sue the flood protection authority.

The complaint should be filed next week.

Mayor Haggerty says, "That's not a uniform fee and it's unlawful and the flood protection authority should impose the fee on all the communities who's water goes through the system."

Mayor Haggerty says pumping stations like this take care of water from communities outside the flood plain.

He showed us another example of his argument at the Toby's Creek impoundment basin in Pringle.

Water from other communities not included in the levee fee dump into the basin.

Seth Roper lives in a Pringle neighborhood that wouldn't have to pay the fee.

He doesn't want to be included anytime soon.

"I'm opposed to any tax. I mean we're taxed to death already in this country, we don't need any more taxes, you need less tax," says Roper.

But the flood protection authority says the fee will help preserve the levee system to keep it in great shape, in case Luzerne County floods again.

The most a homeowner will pay for this levee fee will be about 93 dollars a year.

Business owners can expect to pay as much as 676 dollars.