Eau Claire County (WQOW)- A nearby lake is in danger of disappearing. But Eau Claire County says an added tax could help save it.
Residents living on Lake Eau Claire have a problem on their hands. Eau Claire County says the lake is filling up with sand, and if nothing is done, the lake could disappear.
Residents of the lake have called a public meeting for Tuesday night. In order to get that meeting approved by the county, signatures from 51 percent of property owners were needed. The county says more than 53 percent have already been turned in.
At Tuesday night's meeting, residents will discuss forming a lake association and also creating an additional tax that association members would pay. The money would be put towards fixing up the lake they call home.
"This would allow them to tax themselves and then get some matching grants and/or money from the county that we do have in a fund that would help with rehabilitation of the lake; perhaps some dredging, certainly some type of aeration," says Eau Claire County Planning and Development Director Mel Erickson. "The folks up around Lake Eau Claire, at least some of them, feel that if they do nothing, then the quality of the lake will degrade over time. They want to maintain their property values and their enjoyment of the lake."
Eau Claire County says it has up to six months to make a final decision on the lake. Whether a lake association would be formed and how much residents could be taxed would be up to the residents. That will all be discussed at Tuesday's meeting.
