Bill gives state break on rain tax

ATLANTA --- A bill introduced to the House could give state agencies and departments a break on paying stormwater utility fees but leaves open the question of who will pick up the slack.

About a dozen cities and counties in the state, including Columbia County, levy a fee that goes toward paying the expense of treating water in storm drains. Some are flat fees, and others are based on the area on each parcel that is paved or covered by a building where water must run off rather than soak into the ground.

Under House Bill 316 by Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Spring, state agencies such as the Transportation Department would be exempt from the utility fees.

"The reason we support it is essentially all the stormwater runs back into our roads and back into our own storm system," said Erica Fatima, the Transportation Department's deputy press secretary.

"It's like paying for a service that you don't need."

The bill's lasting effect is what worries one Columbia County official.

"It has a minimum impact, but you don't know what could grow from that," said William Clayton, the director of the county's water utility. He said the county's stormwater fee for property owners is about $10 to $20 per month.

"You don't know what the future ramifications can be, and that obviously is some concern," he said.

Stormwater fees fund projects such as flood plain management, drainage improvement projects and watershed assessments. Each local government or municipality decides how to maintain these initiatives, with some taxing property owners based on how much developed land they own.

The drop in utilities revenue for city government could lead to rate increases for property owners or a reduction in services, said Jason Peek, the engineering administrator for Athens public works.