What is the 'Rain Tax' in Harford County?

There's been a deluge of talk lately about the "rain tax," but do you know what it means?

The Maryland General Assembly approved the Watershed Protection and Program in 2012.

As a result of the bill, Harford, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties and Baltimore City were required to implement the stormwater remediation tax, which varies by jurisdiction.

In Harford County, the municipalities of Havre de Grace, Aberdeen and Bel Air were exempt from the rain tax.

The Harford County Council set the annual stormwater tax rate for all other homeowners in the county at $12.50 and for commercial property owners the rate was 70 cents per 500 square feet of impervious surface.

The stormwater remediation fee, also known as the "rain tax," took effect July 1.

Money raised by the rain tax was slated to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2017, as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In Harford County, money from the tax is to go toward stream restorations, stormwater management pond retrofits, educational outreach and operating funds for water resources, according to Harford County Government.