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For most La Conner property owners, flood insurance is a big deal – and it’s about to become an even bigger one.

On Tuesday, after spending thousands of town dollars in staff time to comply with Federal Management Agency’s Community Rating Service requirements over the years, the Town Council voted unanimously to cut bait and drop out of the program because it is costing too much in bureaucratic paperwork.

Despite months of town work, the FEMA program downgraded the town’s flood rating this year. That means homeowners’ flood insurance rates in town will go up a little more.

La Conner’s flood plan has actually improved over the years. Town Administrator John Doyle is a certified flood plain manager, having completed special training. Also the town is preparing to construct a dike on the north end of town to protect from river flooding. But that doesn’t matter under recent FEMA rule changes.

Communities are rated from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst. La Conner’s rating went from 7 to 9 under the new rules. “Many of the points we don’t qualify for,” Doyle said. La Conner just doesn’t have some of the things that help other places get points – like having a stream run through the middle of town.

The Community Rating Service program supposedly gives homeowners discounts on flood insurance if the town meets all the criteria – but in reality, flood insurance, managed by FEMA, goes up every year as the agency tries to recoup billions of dollars in losses from east coast hurricanes and other disasters.

Doyle said about 70 percent of the town is either in the Skagit River flood plain or within a tidal storm surge risk area. Since the federal flood insurance program began in 1984, town property owners have shelled out many millions of dollars in premiums – around $200,000 per year – for policies that range in price from around $1,000 to more than $3,000.

The council agreed that it would likely take another staff member to devote enough time to comply with all the regulations – some which border on the absurd such as inspecting the tires on all the motor homes in town – and the results would shave maybe 10 percent off flood premiums. The vote was unanimous to withdraw from the Community Rating Service program.

Also, the council authorized Doyle to write letters up the chain of command letting federal officials know how unfair the new rules are on a town La Conner’s size.