Columbia River PUD > News > PUD Pays Franchise Fees to Local Cities

PUD Pays Franchise Fees to Local Cities

March 13, 2015 – Five local cities received a total of $578,535 in franchise fees from Columbia River People’s Utility District (PUD) this week.

Utilities pay franchise fees to cities in exchange for permission to operate within the city limits. The fees are set by each city and are collected by the utility from customers within the city limits, as part of the monthly utility bill.

The PUD’s 2015 franchise fee payments were based on revenues billed during 2014, within each city’s boundaries. The 2015 franchise fee payments were:

  • St. Helens – $364,016 (4.2% increase)
  • Scappoose – $139,378 (6.1% increase)
  • Columbia City – $50,178 (7.4% increase)
  • Rainier – $23,431 (8.8% increase)
  • Prescott – $1,532 (6.1% increase)

In addition to franchise fees, the PUD pays property taxes to the counties in which it operates. During 2014, the PUD paid $446,630 in property taxes to Columbia County and $6,194 in property taxes to Multnomah County. These payments help fund schools, police departments, fire districts and other city and county services.