PUD’s 2011 Franchise Fee Payments Total $507,581

March 4, 2011 – Five local cities received a total of $507,581 in franchise fees from Columbia River People’s Utility District (PUD) last week.

Utilities pay franchise fees to cities in exchange for permission to operate in city rights of way. 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 2011 franchise fee payments were based on its gross revenues billed during 2010, within each city’s boundaries. The 2011 franchise fee payments were:

  • St. Helens – $316,770
  • Scappoose – $123,391
  • Columbia City – $46,731
  • Rainier – $19,298
  • Prescott – $1,391

In addition to franchise fees, the PUD pays property taxes to the counties in which it operates. During 2010, the PUD paid $395,942 in property taxes to Columbia County and $5,748 in property taxes to Multnomah County. These payments help fund schools, police departments, fire districts and other city and county services.