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The Financial Impact of Different Stormwater Fee Types: A Case Study of Two Municipalities in Virginia
Author(s) -
Fedorchak Amanda,
Dymond Randel,
Campbell Warren
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/1752-1688.12590
Subject(s) - impervious surface , stormwater , revenue , business , environmental planning , agricultural economics , geography , environmental science , finance , economics , surface runoff , ecology , biology
Abstract Eight stormwater user fees ( SUF s) were applied to the City of Roanoke and the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia, to determine the effect each has on how land use type impacts the sources of revenue. Roanoke is larger and includes more industrial areas, but less multifamily impervious areas than Blacksburg, which translates differently in the SUF s. Residential parcels comprise the highest percentage of the revenue in all eight SUF s in Blacksburg and four in Roanoke. For both municipalities, two specific SUF s consistently comprised the highest percentage burden for residential homeowners while three other SUF s demonstrated the highest burden for commercial parcels. Open space parcels contain little impervious area, yet account for up to 27% of the revenue in the Blacksburg Area fee structure. Industrial parcels comprise more revenue in Roanoke, averaging 10.1‐4.5% in Blacksburg. Fee types that are easier to administer ( e.g ., Flat fees) may not fully represent the stormwater contribution from the parcels. SUF types that more accurately represent the stormwater burden on the municipality are also more administratively intensive and are more variable with fee factors.