House Representative Ralph Watts is working on legislation for cities to provide its citizens more information into what cities choose to place assessments for road improvements.

Currently, it is up to a city how they want to apply assessments for road construction and maintenance.  Watts believes the current system has led to inequalities of how they are applied.

His legislation suggests that these assessments be applied more on the benefit that is allowed on property.  Watts explains that if a community puts in a new street due to new development, there’s more of a community benefit than just what the city believes it will do.

Representative Watts anticipates that some cities may not like that idea because they don’t want to change how the system currently is.  However, he believes it will serve the citizens better in the long run.