An Idaho Supreme Court ruling against Lewiston's stormwater fee has had reverberations around the state.

According to the City of Coeur d'Alene Today blog, the Coeur d'Alene City Council voted Tuesday to suspend collection of its stormwater fees until that city's code can be re-examined.

The two codes are not identical but similar enough to prompt a review,  the city of Coeur d'Alene posted on its blog.

The high court ruled last week that Lewiston's stormwater fee was instead an illegal tax, preventing five neighboring government agencies from having to pay it. The Lewiston School District, Nez Perce County, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District and Port of Lewiston jointly filed the suit last year.

Lewiston residents paid the stormwater fee from January 2009 to July 2010, but city councilors opted to suspend collection after 2nd District Judge John Bradbury struck it down that summer.

The city of Lewiston is now contemplating whether to return money paid by residents and businesses who paid it in the wake of the high court ruling. Lewiston Administrative Services Director Daniel Marsh estimated it would amount to about $54 for most homeowners and a cost to the city of about $1.2 million.

The Lewiston council will discuss the issue at its meeting Dec. 5.

If you're a subscriber, you can read my latest story about stormwater here.

The Idaho Supreme Court's decision can be read at the PDF at left.

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