Anne Arundel County Exective Proposes Stormwater SMART Fund

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, September 14, 2007 (ENS) - Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold is proposing legislation today that will create a special, non-lapsing fund of fee revenues that will be used to implement stormwater restoration programs for waterways throughout the county. Located south of Baltimore, Anne Arundel County encompasses the city of Annapolis.

The Stormwater Management and Restoration of Tributaries, SMART, Fund, is expected to net $5.1 million annually. The funds will be used for stormwater management programs including operation and maintenance of facilities, water quality monitoring, and inspection and enforcement activities.

"I made a commitment during my campaign that I would identify a fiscally responsible way to address stormwater management without increasing property taxes, and the legislation I am submitting to the Council accomplishes this goal," said Leopold.

"Restoring the health of our tributaries is an extremely important policy goal of this administration, and a fee-based approach on the basis of impervious surfaces is the most equitable solution," he said.

Waterways running through Anne Arundel County drain to the Chesapeake Bay. State surveys rank just 14 percent of the county’s waterways as being in good condition, while 62 percent are in poor or very poor condition. As a result, many streams do not meet water quality standards and will ultimately require restoration actions to meet requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.

Leopold proposes to assess the new fee of 25 cents per square foot of impervious surface added rather than the current charge imposed on gross area disturbed by construction activity, including grading. The SMART Fund would replace the existing storm drainage fee.

With the proposed SMART Fund bill, no fee charge is required if the construction activity does not require a building or grading permit.

Additionally, no fee charge is required if the activity requires a permit, but does not involve an increase of impervious surface, such as rebuilding on an existing footprint. Finally, no fee charge is required if the impervious surface added consists only of a retaining wall.

Revenues may also be used as matching funds for federal, state or private grants for funding stormwater management programs.

The legislation is being introduced by Council Chairman Ron Dillon, on behalf of the County Executive, at today's County Council Meeting.

Before last November's election, grassroots groups concerned about polluted waterways pressed for a monthly fee on homeowners and businesses to fix the long backlog of stormwater problems.

"We can restore creeks and rivers that Anne Arundel County is noted for and provide an example for other communities on what it takes to restore the Bay," said Anne Pearson, director of the Alliance for Sustainable Communities just before the election. "It depends on people making the right choices at the polls in terms of things they say they support, like quality of life."

But many voters viewed such a fee as a new tax, and it became a hot political issue in the election for the county council and county executive. Leopold, a Republican, was elected on a promise to fix the stormwater problems without increasing property taxes. Leopold says he hopes this SMART Fund initiative create momentum to push through a statewide bill known as the Green Fund that would create a fee on new development to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved.