ORLANDO, Fla. – For the first time since 2008, the city of Orlando will be raising stormwater fees for property owners.
The city commission approved the plan during a meeting on Monday afternoon. Only one council member, Tony Ortiz of District 2, voted against the proposal.
About 20 people gave city leaders an earful, expressing their disagreement with the stormwater increases, and councilmembers also voiced their concerns but ultimately agreed they do not know how else they can cover the cost of what the city needs.
Public Works Director Corey Knight said the proposal for the rate hike came about because the city needs more money to keep up with growth and historic flooding.
Hurricane Ian inundated Central Florida with rainfall and left many families dealing with the aftermath long after the storm was over.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“We don’t necessarily want to do this, but we had to borrow $17 million last year to fund our stormwater program,” Knight said. “We can’t keep doing that.”
But residents in Orlando wonder why this responsibility is falling on the taxpayers and whether the city should have a better solution.
Some residents will see their current bill double in the coming years.
The fees are based on the size of your lot — not your house — and how much of your land is covered by things like rooftops and driveways.
Smaller properties will see their annual bill increase about 50% from $83.94 to nearly $127.45 by 2028.
Larger properties will see about a 130% increase from $137.85 to $318.62 each year.
News 6 visited a neighborhood in Orlando last week to see what the city uses the money for. Stormwater fees pay for maintenance and upgrades.
The new, higher rates are expected to double the city’s revenue from about $30 million to $59.9 million by 2028.
It goes into effect in October, and the city should start collecting in January 2025.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: