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Commission hears kickoff of stormwater rate study that could move fees to tax bill
Summary
Consultants presented a stormwater rate study kickoff recommending a review of revenue needs, a potential move of collection from utility bill to a non-ad valorem assessment on the tax roll, and use of impervious-area data to refine customer charges; outreach schedule is aggressive to meet county deadlines.
Consultants told the Hallandale Beach City Commission on April 15 that a study this year will evaluate the long-term revenue needed to sustain stormwater operations and capital projects and consider shifting collection from the monthly utility bill to a non-ad valorem assessment on the property tax roll.
"What we're looking to do here is move over to a special non ad valorem assessment," said Kyle Stevens of Stantec, the consultant leading the rate analysis, explaining that legal tests and county timelines must be satisfied to use the property-tax collection mechanism. Stevens said the study will address revenue sufficiency, defensible allocation methods based on units of service and impervious area, and financing choices for large capital projects.
Stevens said the study will use more accurate parcel-based impervious-area measures for nonresidential properties rather than earlier net-effective estimates, which may cause some customers' bills to increase and others' to decrease. He emphasized impervious area and equivalent residential units (ERUs) as standard bases for allocation: "ERU is the main term you'll hear in the industry," he said.
Denise of Symbiocity, the outreach consultant, said the public-education plan will be staged: an initial education campaign about why the fee exists, followed by community meetings once technical results are known, and focused outreach to affected customer groups. She stressed that the timeline is driven by county deadlines: a draft rule is due in June and full adoption by September if the fee is to appear on the tax bill.
Commissioners asked about previous rate tranches and stormwater master-plan timing. City staff said earlier tranches and the master plan will inform the study’s projections and that choices on cash vs. debt funding will also be part of the analysis. Commissioners expressed interest in protecting residents from large bill jumps and in ensuring broad outreach and clear communication if the change moves forward.
Staff will return to the commission with interim results and recommended methodologies later in the process so the commission can weigh implementation options and community feedback before any final decision.
