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Commissioner flags stormwater fees paid to Martinsburg, says county working to absorb cost
Summary
A commissioner told the Berkeley County Commission that residents are unhappy about stormwater fees and highlighted a county payment to the City of Martinsburg; the commission said it is seeking ways to fold the fee into general revenues but did not commit to eliminating it.
A commissioner raised public frustration over stormwater fees during Berkeley County Commission's meeting and identified a purchase order showing a quarterly payment from the county to the City of Martinsburg for stormwater management. The speaker said the county is working "towards a way to be able to draw that into our general revenue budget" but did not promise the fee's elimination.
The comment came during consent-agenda discussion as the commissioner pointed to PO number 20270005 and said taxpayers should know the county is responsible for paying the city for stormwater management. The amount read in the transcript appears garbled and is not specified in the record.
Commissioners acknowledged public dismay and said the commission has tried legislative avenues at state and federal levels to address the fee. No formal policy change or vote to eliminate the fee occurred at the meeting; commissioners described the current approach as "working very hard on trying to... figure out a path" and noted possible absorption into general revenue as a future step.
The meeting record does not contain further detail on timelines, specific budget offsets, or an approved plan to replace the fee; the matter remains under discussion and would require budgetary decisions at a later date or additional legislative action.
