Dade City keeps stormwater parcel assessment at $50; owner raises flooding concerns

The Dade City Commission voted 4‑0 to adopt a preliminary non‑ad valorem stormwater assessment roll (Resolution 2025‑14) that keeps the equivalent residential unit (ERU) fee at $50 for the 2025–2026 tax year and authorizes transmission of the roll to the Pasco County property appraiser.

City staff told the commission the city recently received a $270,000 state grant to inventory stormwater assets and vulnerability, and that ongoing grant applications and growth‑driven fee revenue may help fund projects. Staff recommended holding the fee steady rather than approving an automatic annual increase so the city can better define projects and financing needs after the vulnerability study and other grant outcomes are known. Staff also noted that one ERU equals 2,430 square feet of commercial property for assessment calculations.

Saxon Evans, owner and operator of the Dade City Business Center, urged the commission to account for stormwater impacts on private facilities and maintenance responsibilities. Evans said his site sustained major flooding in a recent storm, described damage to pumps and wells, and asked whether stormwater infrastructure and response work were considered with the proposed millage and assessment. He also said an earlier agreement (2018) limited the property's exposure to stormwater assessments and requested follow‑up on that agreement.

City staff and the city attorney said they would review the 2018 agreement to determine whether any refund or correction is due, and that assessment administration and budget allocations would be addressed as part of the regular budgeting process. The commission retained staff’s recommendation to leave the assessment at $50; the motion to adopt the preliminary roll carried on a roll call vote, 4‑0 (Commissioner Cosentino: yes; Commissioner Shive: yes; Commissioner Church: yes; Mayor Scott Black: yes).

Staff explained additional context: the city's current program funds routine maintenance and staff, and larger conveyance or capital projects will be informed by the new vulnerability study and by available grant funding. Public commenters and commissioners asked staff to return more concrete project and budget numbers during the next budget cycle.

Motion and vote: Commission approved Resolution 2025‑14 to transmit the preliminary stormwater assessment roll to Pasco County with the assessment unchanged at $50 ERU; roll call 4‑0.