State Auditor Asked to Review Blaine City Manager’s “Disregard and Delete” Directive Over Drinking Water Petition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLAINE, WA (April 6, 2026):  Water Planning Matters has asked the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) to review whether Blaine officials used public office, City systems, and public records handling to suppress notice of a state drinking-water safety petition. The request follows an April 3 email in which Blaine City Manager Michael Harmon said the citizen who filed the petition “violate[d] the law,” said he would direct City Council to “disregard and delete” the notice and attachments, and copied the project applicant “should they choose to pursue legal action.”

On March 31, 2026, Water Planning Matters filed a formal petition with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Office of Drinking Water identifying 26 unresolved source-water protection concerns tied to the proposed Creekside at the Ridge development and asking regulators to verify safety conditions before clearing, grading, or fill near the municipal water supply serving about 17,000 people. The filing was directed to DOH’s separate regulatory authority over source-water protection, not to the City’s closed quasi-judicial hearing record.

A later courtesy notice informed City Council and the City Clerk that the DOH petition had been filed. Three days later, Harmon responded through official City channels by accusing the citizen of violating the law, directing council to “disregard and delete” the communication, and inviting the applicant to consider legal action.

Water Planning Matters has asked SAO to review whether that response involved improper use of public office, public resources, or public records handling. The request specifically asks SAO to review whether City systems were used to facilitate potential private retaliation, whether the “disregard and delete” direction was consistent with public-records obligations, and whether the City created avoidable taxpayer exposure by responding to protected petitioning in a way that could trigger further claims or litigation.

“When a citizen raises drinking-water safety concerns with a state agency and is then told by the city charged with maintaining that safety, that filing their concerns ‘violates the law,’ this is direct citizen intimidation and a violation of the First Amendment. And when the citizen is so concerned about a clear and present danger to drinking water, files with a state agency, and has that notice treated as something to disregard and delete by the city, and then face the prospect of legal action, that not only raises serious questions about city accountability, but it also has a chilling affect on citizen participation.” - Tina Erwin, Water Planning Matters

The request for review does not ask the Auditor to decide the land-use merits of the Creekside project. It asks for review of how the City responded to a separate state health petition concerning potential risks to Blaine’s drinking-water supply.

The request is based on the City’s own emails, the administrative record, and agency filings. Water Planning Matters is an all-volunteer group advocates for responsible development and water resource protection.