Fight Over Sewer District Fee Not Done Yet

The city has filed an appeal in the .

The city was one of a number of communities that took the sewer district to court this fall to protest the new stormwater management fee.

According to The Plain Dealer, a judge ruled the fee fair last month.

But Brecksville’s administration doesn’t agree that the fee is fair. Mayor Jerry N. Hruby said last week that he appreciates that the district is working toward a regional approach, but that the current plan is a “bad deal” for Cuyahoga and Summit counties.

Hruby said he disagrees with the decision that the fee is not a tax—it would put the city at a disadvantage when trying to attract businesses, he said—and said the city had already put a lot of money into stormwater management.

Plus, the fee would fall to residents and business owners, but only some of the money would come back to the community, Hruby said.

“And that’s just not acceptable,” he added.

Law Director David J. Matty told Brecksville City Council members about the appeal during their meeting Tuesday night in . Matty said the city was joined in their appeal by 10 cities in Cuyahoga County, five in Summit County and a group of commercial businesses.

The appeal was filed Friday with the 8th district court of appeals, Matty said.