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1. Why is a fee needed?

On August 31, 2010, the state issued a new, more rigorous permit that requires the county to perform many more tasks, such as sampling and doing in-stream assessments of the waters of the state. It also includes many time- and cost-intensive requirements for public education and illegal discharge detection. Again, these tasks will be required with no funding given by the state or federal government.

To increase the general tax rate to pay for these tasks may not be effective, because the money within the general fund can be used for any government operation. To make sure that the money raised to prevent pollution and regulate discharges into stream and lakes, Shelby County set up a dedicated stormwater fund. This ensures that all of the money raised can only be used for the stormwater program items.

2. What does the fee pay for?

This fee pays for items such as:

• Annual expenditures (such as development of adult and grade school educational messages, pamphlets, and educational materials; stream clean-up events; system mapping; construction enforcement; illegal discharge detection; in-stream sampling and visual assessments; roadside trash pickup; and employee training and education)
• Capital improvement projects (such as regional flood controls, wetland restoration, stream-side buffer establishment, groundwater monitoring ordinance, and subdivision reviews or environmental studies)

This fee also pays for two full-time equivalent staff members and a little overhead.

3. Is there any schedule to increase the fee?

There is no plan to increase the fee.