ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County commissioners are considering implementing a new stormwater utility fee to fund drainage and water quality projects.
Commissioners have yet to narrow in on the details but discussed the proposal during a county meeting Tuesday.
The county said the fee is necessary to fund more than $1billion worth of projects.
Staff said they already have a short list of projects that could get underway with a dedicated funding source.
According to the county, several communities built before the 1980’s could stand to benefit from drainage capacity improvements.
Since 1979, Jimmy Tadlock has called Bonnie Brook home. His house is right across the street from the county pump station and for years he’s kept a close eye on the water levels at the lift station.
“I’ll call the foreman and he’ll rush right on out and see what they can do about it,” said Tadlock.
Tadlock’s home was under three feet of water during Hurricane Ian in 2022, but even heavy rainstorms overwhelm storm drains in Bonnie Brook.
It’s why Tadlock told Channel 9 he would support a stormwater utility fee.
“If we need money, then that’s a good way to get it,” said Tadlock, “The price of everything goes up almost every day now. I’m willing to go along with it.”
The county said Bonnie Brook is one of several areas built before rules about stormwater drainage went into effect statewide in 1982.
Those rules require new development to treat stormwater to a specified level.
The county said communities including Bonnie Brook, Taft, Conway, Pine Castle, and Bithlo could see capacity improvements if the stormwater fee were implemented.
“Those are areas that have had repeated problems, even with our higher intensity storms in the afternoon during the rainy season, not to mention our hurricane storms. And so those are areas that definitely need some additional treatment and capacity,” said Julie Bortles, a project manager with Orange County Public Works.
Since 1996, the county said the stormwater utility fee has been set at zero, but leaders said that is no longer sustainable given rising costs and regional growth.
Commissioners are now considering implementing a tiered fee system, based on how much water runs off your property.
Properties with larger impervious surface areas would see larger bills. That area is comprised of rooftops, sidewalks, driveways, and other surfaces where water cannot be absorbed into the soil.
While some in Bonnie Brook expressed support for the fee Tuesday, Bonnie Brook HOA president Deborah Marley thinks the county ought to find another way.
“Everybody’s struggling. We have older people here, a lot of older people that have to live on a fixed income. So, it’s kind of hard for them to have to come up with more money,” said Marley.
Channel 9 asked Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, whether the timing was right for the fee. He reiterated that the county still hasn’t finalized any plans for a fee increase.
“No decisions were made today to increase the fees for stormwater customers here in Orange County. The only thing we’re doing is going to have a conversation with our residents who in certain neighborhoods are experiencing some infrastructure challenges,” said Demings, “In order to fix that, it is going require a major investment.”
The county is expected to revisit the topic and narrow in on a fee structure during a county meeting tentatively scheduled for June 30th.
In the meantime, commissioners directed county staff to host community meetings and gather public input on the fees.
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