Alexandria Holds Public Meeting on Proposed Stormwater Management Fee

From the City of Alexandria:

On Tuesday, November 1, the City of Alexandria will host a public meeting on the details of the City’s proposed Stormwater Management Fee that relate to non-profit, religious and other tax-exempt properties. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 301 King St., at 7 p.m., in the Sister Cities Room 1101. .

Costly new and unfunded state and federal mandates require additional efforts to prevent pollution from storm water 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 or business 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 proposed fee is intended to provide a more equitable funding mechanism for stormwater management costs. State law does not permit localities to waive the fee for tax-exempt properties.

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.

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