City council has decided on a funding method for stormwater management.
Councillors reviewed five options developed by staff to create a dedicated stormwater fund, rather than draw from property taxes along with funds for other city services. These include:
- A dedicated levy on property taxes.
- A utility fee based on property type and size.
- A utility fee based on the maximum hard-surface site coverage allowed by zoning
- A utility fee based on actual measurements of a property’s hard surface area based on a sampling of residential properties.
- Status quo, with stormwater management costs staying as part of the general tax levy
The public favoured Option 4, according to an online survey conducted between May 21 and June 28 that received 314 responses.
Council voted to go with that plan.
Kristy Bobbie, the city’s manager of asset management, said Option 4 provides the most accurate description of properties and would be the most fair.
Implementation may take about a year, council heard.
