LEWISTON, ID – Lewiston voters have resoundingly voted no to an increase in the Avista Corporation franchise fee from its current 1% to a proposed 3%. Polls closed at 8:00 p.m. tonight and in unofficial results, 73.4% of the votes tabulated so far are against the proposed measure according to the Idaho County Secretary of State’s Office. At this point, there were only about 2,000 ballots cast.
The Lewiston City Council put the measure on the ballot to raise more money for construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of city streets, where the existing $400,000 the municipality gets from the 1% fee currently goes.
According to the Lewiston Morning Tribune, the city would have seen its revenue from the fee reach about $1.2 million if voters had approved the measure. Presently Lewiston Avista customers, including residents, businesses, and nonprofits, pay $1 for every $100 Avista charges them for natural gas and electricity.
That number would have grown to $3 per $100 if the proposed boost had passed.
Lewiston Mayor Dan Johnson says the $1.2 million would be added to $6 million in city revenue from property and gas taxes to repair and upgrade roads.
