On March 30, 2020, the California Court of Appeal overruled the city of Oakland’s demurrer regarding the validity of its waste management franchise fees on the grounds the plaintiffs sufficiently alleged that the fees were taxes. The city entered into waste management contracts with two companies. In turn, the companies agreed to pay the franchise
Tax vs. Fee
To fee or not to fee: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals holds 4-R Act does not apply to stormwater management charge
By Charles Capouet & Charlie Kearns on
Posted in In the News
On February 15, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the Roanoke, Virginia stormwater management charge was not subject to the discriminatory tax prohibition in the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (“4-R Act”) because the charge was a fee. In 2013, Roanoke enacted a stormwater management…