MWCD Board of Appraisers Discusses Assessment Items
A proposal by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District to combine adjoining residential and agricultural parcels owned by the same person or entity into one basic property for assessment payments to fund a $270-million upgrade plan is receiving support.
After hearing a presentation from the MWCD’s consulting engineer on the project, James L. Rozelle of the Cincinnati firm of Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott & May, the Appraisers urged Rozelle to continue gathering data based on a working definition of what will be considered a parcel of land for purposes of the assessment.
Members of the MWCD’s three-member Board of Appraisers discussed numerous items related to the proposal during a meeting Friday (Aug. 12) at New Philadelphia. By law, the Board of Appraisers is the body that develops the methodology for assessments related to conservancy districts.
The MWCD’s Conservancy Court and Board of Directors recently adopted an Amendment to the Official Plan of the Conservancy District, which includes nearly $270 million worth of estimated projects and partnering opportunities to maintain flood reduction and promote clean water in the watershed. Funds for the work would be collected through an assessment from owners of property in the MWCD jurisdiction, as detailed in Ohio Law.
While they did not formally adopt the definition of a parcel at the meeting, the Appraisers said they were comfortable working within the guidelines of the following stipulation as more information is developed:
“For purposes of this Appraisal of Benefits, a parcel is defined as one or more contiguous (adjoining) tracts of land with the same Property Use Code (PUC) and the same owner of record, as determined by the County Auditor’s records. Such parcels may be divided by a public or private road(s) or a stream(s) and still be considered one parcel under this Plan.”
Ohio law authorizes the state’s conservancy districts to levy assessments. Three basic classes of parcels are subject to the assessment: residential, agricultural and commercial/industrial. MWCD has estimated that owners of residential and agricultural parcels will pay about $12 per parcel annually under the program. An estimate for owners of commercial/industrial property is being developed. The Board of Appraisers – James Navratil of Medina, Thomas Roe of Wooster and Mark Waltz of Dover – plan to have their work related to the program complete by early 2006.
The Appraisers also discussed the possible methods of the assessment. Rozelle told them that four basic methods could be utilized: land use, impervious area, acreage and tax value basis. Because the assessment will be applied to all of the estimated 703,000 parcels over an 18-county area in the MWCD jurisdiction, Rozelle said he recommends the land use method as the most fair and equitable for the program, since it relates to the volume and quality of water contributed by all parcels in the region.
Rozelle also told the Appraisers that all properties in the Conservancy District receive benefits related to their contribution of water into the system, and therefore will be maintained or enhanced by the improvements in the MWCD work plan. He said these benefits include continued flood protection, removal of sediment, protection of eroding shoreline, water quality improvements, watershed management and increased reservoir maintenance.
Members of the Board of Appraisers asked for further information on all of these topics for upcoming meetings as they move toward development of guidelines of the assessment program. They scheduled meetings for Sept. 16 and Oct. 14. The times and locations will be announced prior to each meeting.
“On behalf of the MWCD Board of Directors, I urge the members of the Board of Appraisers to give very careful thought to the best way to put the assessment in place to ensure fairness to district residents,” said Joanne Limbach of New Philadelphia, a member of the MWCD Board of Directors.
Conservancy District officials have been meeting with public officials in all 18 counties in the MWCD region to discuss the watershed plan and gather input on projects needed in the local areas, as well as to discuss the numerous partnering opportunities that can be developed.
The amendment to the MWCD Official Plan details projects in six major categories:
* Serving as a partner for the upgrades to dams in the system for safety and flood protection through the expertise and planning of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates the structures. The MWCD would provide a portion of the funding for the work – 3.45 percent – with the federal government paying for the balance. Other related projects include upgrades to culverts and bridges, raising and relocating critical roads and other infrastructure projects.
* Sediment removal through dredging operations.
* Shoreline protection to reduce erosion damage.
* Water quality improvements including monitoring water quality, reducing pollution, addressing acid mine drainage problems, providing environmental education and improving sewer systems.
* Watershed management through planning and assistance for local interest groups and private property owners with programs to reduce sediment and pollution.
* Reservoir maintenance and inspection on a regular schedule.
“Our highest priorities remain flood reduction and water quality in the district,” said John M. Hoopingarner, MWCD executive director/secretary. “It is absolutely necessary that we move forward with this plan for watershed renewal to protect residents and property, as well as to improve water quality throughout the Muskingum River Basin. Protecting this asset will create and protect jobs in the region and maintain the high quality of life important to each of us.”
Since its inception, the MWCD has operated on revenue primarily from the use of its facilities through various fee structures and the stewardship of its natural resources. However, this funding alone cannot address the large-scale needs and costs associated with the aging system, which are showing the effects of sedimentation, erosion and other issues that can have a negative impact on flood reduction and water quality benefits.
The MWCD, the largest of the 20 conservancy districts in the state, is believed to be the only one active district that does not collect an assessment for maintenance of its facilities. Founded in 1933 for flood reduction and water conservation in the Muskingum River Watershed – an area that stretches from Akron to Marietta and from Mansfield to eastern Harrison County – the MWCD system of 14 reservoirs has been credited by the federal government with saving property owners around $6 billion in potential flood damage and saving countless lives.
