Stockton council authorizes protest hearing for proposed stormwater fee increases
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Summary
Council authorized a March 31, 2026 public protest hearing on a proposed stormwater fee schedule that would raise the current $2.10/month equivalent unit rate toward a multi‑year plan reaching as much as $8.10/month by FY2030; staff cited aging infrastructure, a projected $5 million shortfall, and a significant capital backlog.
The Stockton City Council on Jan. 27 authorized a public protest hearing on proposed stormwater rate adjustments after a staff presentation laying out aging infrastructure, regulatory requirements and a multi‑year funding plan.
Utilities staff and consultant HRGreen told the council the city's stormwater utility was last adjusted in 1992 and is now underfunded for operations and capital needs. Staff described roughly 23,000 catch basins, about 620 miles of pipelines and 77 pump stations across the city, and said a combination of deferred maintenance and regulatory obligations creates a projected operating shortfall of about $5 million in FY27–28. Consultant Sean Korn outlined a 5‑year transition: the FY27 rate would be $3.85 per equivalent dwelling unit per month, rising in subsequent years (the plan shows a maximum of $8.10/month by FY30) to fund identified capital projects from the stormwater master plan.
Korn described the Proposition 218 process (a public protest hearing followed by balloting if no majority protest) and the city’s proposed outreach: an online open house, community meetings, translated materials and targeted engagement for commercial and industrial customers. Staff said notification mailings to parcel owners are part of the next steps if council authorizes the hearing.
Public commenters asked that the master plan and rate study be made available earlier and raised equity concerns about charging small, fixed‑income households the same flat monthly fee as larger properties. Pat Barrett and others said the public needed more time and neighborhood‑level outreach; staff replied the study materials will be available online, translatable and that outreach will include community meetings and targeted mailings.
Councilmember Mario Blauer moved to authorize the public hearing and direct the city manager to mail required notices; the motion passed 4‑1 (Councilmember Villapudua dissented). The hearing was set for March 31, 2026. Staff told council the Proposition 218 voting/ballot stage will follow the protest period if not rejected by the protest process.
What happens next: Staff will begin outreach, post the study materials online, mail hearing notices to affected parcels and hold the protest hearing on March 31, 2026. The proposed rates will only be implemented after the Proposition 218 process is complete and any ballot requirements are met.
