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Cramerton officials flag stormwater funding shortfall, cite MS4 compliance work
Summary
Town stormwater administrator told commissioners the program runs on a $6 monthly fee and a budget just north of $400,000, leaving gaps to complete a 30–35 project master plan; staff noted the town’s last state audit found compliance issues in 2022 and named 11th Street among priority projects.
Chase Sturgis, the Town of Cramerton stormwater administrator, told the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 2 that the town’s stormwater program is funded almost entirely by a $6.00 monthly fee and a budget “just north of $400,000” a year, creating a shortfall for infrastructure work the town must complete to meet federal and state requirements.
Sturgis summarized the regulatory framework tied to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System under the Clean Water Act and said Cramerton operates under a Phase II municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit issued Feb. 20, 2017. He said the town was audited in 2022 (the transcript refers to the auditing state agency as “NCDQ”) and was found not in compliance with Phase II guidelines; he said the next audit will focus on post-construction stormwater controls and is scheduled for 2027.
“The master plan identifies roughly 30 to 35 projects ranked by priority,” Sturgis said, adding that staff is targeting completion of master-plan projects by 2030 and that 11th Street is a near-term priority. He also noted that some construction-site runoff responsibilities are handled by Gaston County and that the town would take responsibility for post-construction stormwater ponds when they transfer to municipal control.
Sturgis described funding as the department’s principal challenge and said the MS4 program is an unfunded federal mandate for municipalities of Cramerton’s size, which is why the stormwater fee exists. He said the town’s current revenue source — the $6 monthly fee — is insufficient to cover the full suite of master-plan projects.
The discussion identified choices the town will face: continue to rely on the current fee structure and grant opportunities, reprioritize the project list, or seek alternative revenue sources to address the backlog. No formal direction or vote on fee changes occurred at the meeting.
The town manager and commissioners did not provide a timetable for potential fee changes during the session; Sturgis’s presentation will inform budget discussions in the FY24–25 process.
