Stormwater Utility Adjustment Applications Accepted Through Dec. 3

Press release from the City of Fairfax :

11/07/2022 11:54 AM

Fairfax City property owners have received their real estate tax bill for the second half of 2022, which includes their property’s Stormwater Utility (SWU). SWU is similar to utilities for water and sanitary sewer: it is a fee for all real estate owners that supports a dedicated fund used exclusively for stormwater management services.

The SWU fee is based on the stormwater runoff impact generated by the property, using impervious surface as the measurement of that impact.(Previously, the stormwater program was funded through the real estate tax.)

Property owners may request an adjustment to the fee by submitting an appeal application by Dec. 3; click here to download the appeal application.

Appeals applications are accepted through Saturday, Dec. 3:

Grounds for adjustment of the fee listed in the SWU, according to the ordinance, are:

SWU is a fee — not a tax — because the amount of revenue collected by the utility must be related to the cost of services it funds and must be used for stormwater management. In contrast, real estate taxes fund general government services and are tied to the assessed value of the property.

Since the utility was approved by City Council in December 2021, the city has provided a credit program to offset the cost of the utility for a property; click here for more information: fairfaxva.gov/stormwaterutility.

This is the first bill on which this charge has been included; a sample was sent for information only to real estate property owners with their first 2022 bill earlier this year.

Info: fairfaxva.gov/stormwaterutility, email, 703-385-2578

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.