The Citrus County Commission on Tuesday voted 5-0 to proceed with an interlocal agreement with Crystal River for a special water assessment district.

None of those people affected by the agreement live within the city limits of Crystal River.

Fireworks erupted during public comment of finding a uniform method for the levy, collection and enforcement of non-ad valorem assessments against the properties specially benefited by the district. Those residents who will be affected live in the unincorporated part of the county. Knowing this back in 2009, the City of Crystal River and the county commission developed an agreement that both sides say is filled with compromises.

One of the things that has made the district desirable for the city and county has been the stick-and-carrot of federal funds that were made available to push the project through - the fed will provide 85 percent of the funding to pay for the project. In accordance with state law, the city is not under any obligation to provide such services to the county, but a deal was worked out between the city and county.

Even so, the county residents who will have to pay for connecting to the wastewater system say the amount of money they have to pay up front is a heavy financial burden, and that a state provision that allows the city to charge up to a maximum surcharge of 25 percent, couple with a city requirement to pay a $7,500 connection fee - is, in their view, excessive.

As for Crystal River City Manager Andy Houston, the agreement with the county would not have even happened without the provision for the surcharge in that agreement. "Such a surcharge is not unique to Citrus County or to Crystal River," Houston said, adding that the county might not like it but cities do.

"Without that provision, we would have not entered into the agreement. We expect you to abide by the agreement as we are trying to do."

County commissioners were quick to express their support of the agreement, but Commissioner Joe Meek sought to convince the city to reduce or drop the 25 percent surcharge, and Commissioner Rebecca Bays suggested that the 400 residents be charged a reduced rate for the 10-year payback period required by law.

Commissioner Dennis Damato thew his support behind the city-county agreement. He said the county has no way to get sewer lines to that development without incurring significant costs, and that Crystal River already had lines, and a processing facility in that area. Under the city-county deal, the city would leave a stub at the end of the district that would allow the future extension of the system along Fort Island Trail out to the Gulf of Mexico.

One benefit to the county and city from the agreement is that, once all 400 development residents are hooked into the new waster assessment district, all of the septic tanks will be decommissioned from around the Kings Bay area.

Meek asked Houston if he could find a way to keep the surcharge fee as low as possible for the affected residents. Referring to the interlocal agreement, Meek said, "Technically, you are correct. This is a cooperative effort. To reiterate, I know where you're coming from, and ask you take out the magnifying glass to reduce the (amount of the ) surcharge."

Houston: said the city would do "what it could" to reduce the assessment.

Crystal River Ron Kitchen, also present at Tuesday's county commission meeting, assured the county commission, and members of the public at that meeting, that the city is not doing anything that could be seen as questionable. Speaking of residents who live within the city limits, Kitchen said, "All the citizens of Crystal River are county residents, who have chosen to live in Crystal River and to pay more for these services."

"It sounds like we're making money," Kitchen said, "but we're not. Nobody is happy about how it all came about," he said. He also said that other people's money (U.S. taxpayers' money, a.k.a. federal money) is paying 85 percent of the bill for the affected homeowners.

"It's not like we're trying to play hardball or make money off the county," Kitchen said.

Commissioner J.J. Kenney said that, although he had a problem with the amount of the surcharge, a contract is a contract. "We've got to stop dragging our feet, and we've gotta get this done," Kenney said. "We (could) lose tourism dollars and commercial fishing dollars ... let's clean up the bay. Let's clean up the river."

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