Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stormwater fees unlikely to cover debt service, staff recommends deeper workshop
Summary
Staff said stormwater operations — including debt service — cost about $1.9–$2.0M annually while current fee collections bring in roughly $700k; doubling fees would still fall short, prompting a request for a dedicated fee workshop and county benchmarking.
At the June 24 budget workshop, finance staff presented a stormwater-fund review that showed a substantial gap between recurring revenue and the full annual cost of operations when debt service is included.
"The cost of the stormwater operation, including debt service repayment, principal and interest is about $1.9 to $2.0 million a year," the finance director said. Staff reported charge-for-service stormwater receipts at roughly $700,000 annually, and commissioners were told that even a hypothetical doubling of the stormwater fee would not fully close the gap once debt service and other operating costs are considered.
Staff proposed a follow-up workshop to review the stormwater fees, provide historical operating-cost snapshots, and benchmark Madeira Beach against other Pinellas County communities before any fee-change decision. Commissioners asked whether the stormwater transfer recorded in FY25 was accurately captured and whether some transfers were missed; staff said transfers intended to cover annual debt service remain an obligation and will be included in the deeper review.
The presentation also noted pending Joint Project Agreements (JPAs) and grant funding that could alter projected revenues in FY27; staff said some JPA receipts (Area 5) may fall on the cusp of fiscal-year boundaries and will be updated as contracts and construction timelines firm up.
No fee changes were proposed or voted on at the workshop. Staff committed to additional analysis and a dedicated session to inform any future recommendation.
