08/03/2026
Commentary from our colleagues in Kitsap Co Libertarian Party:
Opinion: Kitsap County Is Taxing Us to Fight Noxious W**ds. So Why Are County Roads Still Spreading Them?
Good government isn't measured by how many programs it creates.
It's measured by whether it faithfully performs the limited responsibilities taxpayers are already paying for.
That's why Kitsap County's recent announcement ending its Free Noxious W**d Disposal Program months ahead of schedule because the budget was exhausted deserves more attention than it has received. County officials explained participation far exceeded expectations. Citizens did exactly what government asked them to do: they removed invasive w**ds from their properties and brought them to approved disposal sites in record numbers.
That's not a failure by taxpayers.
That's success.
So why does it feel like government isn't matching that effort?
Every year, Kitsap County property owners pay a dedicated assessment to support the county's Noxious W**d Control Program. Under Kitsap County Code, the assessment is $2.00 per parcel plus $0.08 per acre for most non-forest properties. This isn't voluntary. It's a county-authorized assessment created under Washington law specifically to support noxious w**d control.
According to Kitsap County's own program materials, the assessment generates approximately $235,000 annually for the program. Those same budget materials indicate that after coordinator and office expenses, roughly $108,000 remained available for program activities in 2024.
No libertarian should object to government carrying out a legitimate public function that individuals cannot accomplish alone.
Invasive w**ds don't respect fences.
They don't recognize property lines.
They don't stop because one landowner did everything right.
That's exactly why Washington created county w**d boards in the first place, to coordinate efforts that individual property owners cannot accomplish on their own. State law recognizes that invasive w**ds cause significant economic and environmental harm and established county w**d control programs to help prevent their spread.
The problem isn't that government has a role.
The problem is whether government is performing that role effectively.
Drive many county roads during the summer and you'll find stretches lined with tansy ragwort, Scotch broom, and other invasive species.
Anyone who has spent years fighting tansy knows exactly what happens next.
The plants flower.
They seed.
Wind, wildlife, roadside mowing, and passing traffic distribute those seeds onto neighboring properties.
Meanwhile, adjacent landowners are expected to pull, spray, bag, haul, and dispose of those same w**ds, often at their own expense.
Think about what that means.
One homeowner spends every weekend pulling tansy.
They purchase herbicide.
They haul trailer loads to the transfer station.
They pay the county w**d assessment every year.
Across the fence, a county right-of-way produces another generation of seeds.
That isn't a partnership.
That's government asking citizens to solve a problem government appears to be helping perpetuate.
The Burden on Property Owners Keeps Growing
This debate doesn't exist in isolation.
Many rural property owners are also watching proposals that could further restrict outdoor burning as part of regional clean air discussions. Whether those proposals ultimately move forward or not, they highlight a broader concern.
Every time government limits another tool available to property owners for managing vegetation or disposing of noxious w**ds, it assumes a greater responsibility to ensure practical alternatives exist, and that government itself is maintaining its own lands to the same standard expected of private citizens.
It is difficult to ask taxpayers to pay a dedicated w**d assessment, control invasive w**ds on their own property, absorb the costs of w**d removal, lose a free disposal program months earlier than expected, and potentially face fewer disposal options in the future while county rights-of-way continue to spread invasive w**ds.
Government should never expect more from citizens than it expects from itself.
To be clear, this isn't an attack on the employees who work in the Noxious W**d Program. The county provides valuable educational resources, w**d identification assistance, stewardship programs, contractor assistance for qualifying properties, and public reporting tools.
Those services matter.
But education alone does not stop invasive w**ds.
Public trust depends on government leading by example.
If county-owned property is not being aggressively managed, then taxpayers deserve an explanation.
This is where transparency matters.
The county should publicly answer several straightforward questions.
How much revenue is generated each year through the noxious w**d assessment?
How much is spent directly treating county-owned rights-of-way?
How many miles of county rights-of-way are inspected annually?
How many acres are actually treated?
Has roadside treatment increased or decreased over the past five years?
What measurable outcomes demonstrate that taxpayer dollars are reducing invasive w**d populations?
Why did the disposal program exhaust its budget months ahead of schedule?
What is the county's long-term plan if disposal options become more limited?
Those aren't partisan questions.
They're accountability questions.
Government should never ask citizens to meet a higher standard than it meets itself.
If private property owners are expected to control invasive w**ds under Washington law, county government should demonstrate that it is maintaining the lands under its own control with equal diligence.
That's not asking for more government.
That's asking for competent government.
That's asking government to fulfill the purpose taxpayers are already funding.
The early closure of the disposal program tells us something encouraging.
Kitsap residents care deeply about protecting their community.
The county should match that commitment.
Government earns trust through performance, not press releases.
Libertarians have long argued that the legitimacy of government depends on accountability. When government collects taxes or assessments for a specific public purpose, citizens deserve measurable results. Before creating new restrictions, reducing available options, or asking more of property owners, government should first demonstrate that it is competently carrying out the limited responsibilities it already has.
That is not an argument against government.
It is an argument for responsible government.
Taxpayers have already done their part.
Now it's time to see whether county government is willing to do its own.
LP Kitsap Calls for Transparency
LP Kitsap encourages Kitsap County to publicly release:
Annual noxious w**d assessment revenue.
Program expenditures by category.
County roadside treatment schedules.
GIS maps of treated rights-of-way.
Annual roadside acreage inspected and treated.
Performance metrics showing whether invasive w**d populations are declining.
The rationale behind ending the free disposal program months ahead of schedule.
A public plan for ensuring property owners have practical disposal options if additional burn restrictions are adopted.
Transparency should not require a Public Records Act request.
It should be standard practice.
Government accountability begins with open books, measurable results, and leading by example.
Property owners have demonstrated they are willing to do the work.
Now it's time for government to demonstrate the same commitment.
Sources & References
The factual information referenced in this opinion piece is drawn from publicly available Kitsap County and Washington State resources.
Kitsap County Noxious W**d Assessment
Kitsap County Code Chapter 18.20 – Noxious W**d Control
Establishes the county's noxious w**d assessment of $2.00 per parcel plus $0.08 per acre for most non-forest properties.
https://www.codepublishing.com/.../Kitsap18/Kitsap1820.html
Washington State Law
Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 17.10 – Noxious W**ds
Establishes county noxious w**d control boards and authorizes local assessments for w**d control.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=17.10
Kitsap County Noxious W**d Program
Kitsap County Department of Community Development
Noxious W**d Control Program
https://www.kitsap.gov/.../NoxiousW**dControlProgram.aspx
Kitsap County Budget & Assessment Information
Kitsap County Noxious W**d Board Budget Presentation (2024)
Documents annual assessment revenue of approximately $235,000 and program budget allocations referenced in this editorial.
https://www.kitsap.gov/.../Kitsap%20County%20NWCB%20Q1...
Kitsap County Announcement
Kitsap County Government
Free Noxious W**d Disposal Program Ends Early Due to Budget Being Reached
Announcement regarding the early closure of the 2026 free disposal program after participation exceeded expectations.
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAKITSAP/
Additional Public Records Requested by LP Kitsap
Editorial Note: This article is an opinion piece. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Factual statements are based on the public records, statutes, county ordinances, budget documents, and official county publications cited above. Readers are encouraged to review the original source materials and draw their own conclusions.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BYXVAKGUU/
Due to significantly higher-than-anticipated participation, the Free Noxious W**d Disposal Program has reached its allocated budget for the year. The program was originally scheduled to run through October, or until budget was reached.
The last day to drop off noxious w**ds for free at participating facilities will be Friday, July 31, 2026.
These facilities are:
- Olympic View Transfer Station
- Hansville Garbage and Recycling Facility
- Olalla Garbage and Recycling Facility
- Silverdale Garbage and Recycling Facility
- Bainbridge Disposal
Beginning August 1, standard disposal fees will resume at these facilities.
Bagged or loose, your load should be secured by tarp or net, or be subject to an unsecured load fee. This is especially important to prevent the spread of noxious w**ds as they are moved from your property to the disposal facilities!
