[Archived] City of Alexandria to Hold Public Meeting on Proposed Stormwater Management Fee

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2016

On Monday, October 17, the City of Alexandria’s Environmental Policy Commission will host a public meeting to present the framework of a proposed Stormwater Management Fee and receive feedback from the public. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 301 King St., from 7:30 to 9 p.m., in the Council Workroom on the 2^nd Floor.

Costly new and unfunded state and federal mandates require additional efforts to prevent pollution from stormwater runoff. Since about half of the City’s operating funds come from the real estate tax, the common way to fund new mandates is often to either raise taxes or cut spending in other areas.  The City’s analysis shows that while approximately two-thirds of stormwater runoff comes from non-residential properties, about two-thirds of the current stormwater management funding from the real estate tax is paid by residential customers.  The real estate tax is also based on the market value of a property, without regard to the amount of runoff it produces. Thus, the owner of a small house may pay more real estate tax than the owner of a large parking lot, even though the parking lot may be responsible for far more stormwater flooding or pollution.

The draft framework would create a Stormwater Management Fee, which would be billed based on the amount of impervious surface area on each property.  Preliminary staff analysis indicates that the potential fee to cover stormwater management costs could range from $10 to $12 per month for a typical single family detached home and $4 to $5 per month for townhouses.  The fee for non-residential properties would vary based on impervious surface area.

For more information or questions regarding the meeting, please contact the Stormwater Management Division at stormwater@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4014. For more information about the City’s Stormwater Management Program and the proposed fee, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Stormwater.

For media inquiries, contact Andrea Blackford, Senior Communications Officer, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, email geralyn.taylor@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4084, Virginia Relay 711.

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