Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on storm water rates:
Stormwater rate hike coming to Hillsborough residents, businesses
Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 16, 2017 11:41am
Single-family households will pay $36 this year, an increase of $6. Apartment complexes will now pay $18 per unit and non-residential parcels will pay $0.03 for every 1.5 square feet.
The new rates, approved 5-1, also give commissioners the option of raising the rate for residents to $42 next year.
Commissioners hope the hike can help the county address a significant backlog in the kind of culvert and watershed improvements that can alleviate flooding that habitually occurs after even modest rains.
“I’m exhausted in my office dealing with situations of storm water problems. My staff is exhausted,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “We are trying to answer the needs. This is a quality of life issue that’s really important to our residents.”
It’s necessary for Hillsborough to address stormwater infrastructure because of its “special problems” as a coastal county that sees heavy rainfall in summer months and is susceptible to sea level rise and tropical storms, Commissioner Pat Kemp said.
Administrator Mike Merrill, however, said that while this is a step forward but many larger stormwater projects remain unfunded in the capital plan.
Commissioner Victor Crist was the lone no vote.
At the time, county staff recommended a hike to $36 dollars a year but commissioners split the difference, fearing a 200 percent increase was too aggressive for residents.
The new rates will generate about $19.7 million a year.
