Mayor defends citywide stormwater program

I am proposing a reduction in the residential water rates for the average household. Council has approved increasing rates by 6 percent as of July 1, and I have asked them to bring that down to 4.7 percent…

…The average household will see its water bill go down by as much as $60 annually at the end of a 5-year, phased-in period to reduce rates.

He continues by outlining the purpose behind the proposed Stormwater Utility Program, which will be funded by a new fee — about $7.50 each month for most city households.
Aside from less flooding, other benefits include reduced sewer back-ups, cleaner and safer streets, cleaner waterfront areas and parks, fewer threats of West Nile virus, and a healthier James River and its tributaries.

Up to now, drainage improvements have been paid for in a piecemeal fashion as approved by Council, which is why progress has not occurred on the scale it should. This old method of payment is no longer adequate.

Most other cities, at least the size of Richmond, already have a Stormwater Utility Program to bring improved services to residents and business owners. And these improvements will be possible with a dedicated funding source in place to address the City’s aging infrastructure and drainage issues.