Cobb County official outlines $4.75 monthly stormwater fee to fund repairs, crews and detention-pond work

Commissioner Eric Allen (District 2) and Judy Jones, director of water for Cobb County, discussed a proposal to create a dedicated stormwater utility that would place a visible fee on bills and direct revenue specifically to stormwater maintenance and repairs.

Jones said the county is proposing a flat residential fee of $4.75 per month. Commercial properties would be charged on a prorated basis using impervious surface area compared with a typical residential baseline of 3,700 square feet. "So what we're proposing for residential properties is a flat $4.75 a month," Jones said. "For commercial properties, it would be a calculated rate based on the amount of impervious surface on the property as compared to a typical residential home." (00:04:18)

The county intends to offset the new line item by lowering existing water and sewer rates, so most customers' total bills would not increase by the full fee. "They will see a line item for $4.75 on a residential property, but their overall bill won't go up $4.75 because we'll reduce the water and sewer rates," Jones said. (00:05:03)

Jones described how the fee revenue would be used: repairing pipes in residential easements that the water system maintains, funding in-house stormwater repair crews, maintaining detention ponds under county responsibility, and helping the Department of Transportation pay for right-of-way stormwater repairs. "We have a lot of repairs that we can't get to and we're really behind, so this will help us have additional funding for that," Jones said. (00:01:50)

She quantified the backlog: "With the repairs that we need to do, pipe repairs, we have about a 100 outstanding right now, and I think 69 of those are sinkholes on people's private property that they're waiting for us to come out and repair," Jones said. (00:03:16)

Allen emphasized public-safety and infrastructure risks from aging corrugated-metal pipes, noting sinkholes and local flooding when those pipes fail. "When they rupture, this is where we get some of those sinkholes and other things that create problems," Allen said. (00:02:58)

Jones said Cobb County has provided stormwater services since about 1995, historically hiding the cost inside water and sewer rates. The county first studied a stand-alone stormwater utility around 2005, she said, and other municipalities in Cobb already charge stormwater fees. "Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, and Powder Springs and Smyrna already have a stormwater fee," Jones said; she noted Marietta does not. (00:06:12)

The county will hold two public hearings on the proposal: Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. and Nov. 20 at 6 p.m., Commissioner Allen said. No formal vote or ordinance adoption was recorded during this episode; the discussion was informational and aimed at encouraging public comment. (00:07:54)

Why it matters: The proposal would make stormwater funding more transparent and dedicate revenue to repairs and permit-related obligations Jones said the department must meet with the state. Jones added the current funding level does not keep up with required maintenance and regulatory responsibilities.

What remains unresolved: The precise commercial rate schedule beyond the 3,700-square-foot residential baseline and the final adopted fee level are not specified in the discussion. The county also did not announce a formal adoption date; the two hearings are an opportunity for public input prior to any formal action.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified from the episode recording and include direct verbatim excerpts where noted.