By Mary Thurwachter
Lantana residents will see something new this month when they receive notice of their proposed taxes from the county property appraiser — a stormwater utility fee for drainage projects. That will amount to a $72 annual assessment for the typical single-family home.
The Town Council adopted that preliminary rate — which equates to $6 a month for the average homeowner — during its July 8 meeting. Workshops to discuss the topic were held on June 10 and July 22. The second workshop was open for public comment, but only six residents attended, and no one said a peep.
Town Manager Brian Raducci says the cost of stormwater management has continued to grow and he anticipates it will be a larger part of operations in the future.
“Just to be clear, this is because things are changing,” Vice Mayor Pro Tem Kem Mason said. “The weather is changing. We have more rain. We’re having to get more pumps out there — trucks to pump water out to eliminate the flooding. We can’t stand behind and be reactive. We have to be proactive.”
Lantana’s annual stormwater operations and maintenance costs are $320,030, according to a study done by the engineering firm Chen Moore and Associates.
That study showed that the average monthly rate of utility fees for 130 Florida municipalities is $9.
The fee is assessed based on the impact of stormwater generated from property within the town. The impact is calculated based on the amount of impervious area (land area covered or paved), and this is shown as an Equivalent Residential Unit or ERU.
In Palm Beach County, monthly stormwater rates range from $4 in Palm Springs to $19 in Wellington, with an average among eight municipalities of $8.91 (Palm Springs, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Lake Worth Beach, Boynton Beach, North Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Wellington).
The fee structure is tiered.
The average single-family home, which is less than a quarter of an acre, will be paying $6 a month or $72 a year, according to Brent Whitfield, a Chen Moore project manager.
For homes greater than a quarter of an acre, the fee is $12 a month or $144 a year.
The final rate can be less, but not more, than the rate listed in the mailed notices, called Truth in Millage or TRIM. The TRIM notice also includes all proposed property tax rates affecting a property.
A $6 fee would collect $546,280 a year. If the rate were reduced to $5.75, the amount the fee raises would be $523,519.
The extra money collected by the tax — above the expected $320,030 in expenses — will be set aside for costly capital stormwater projects which will be needed in the future.
“If you’re not putting away at least $200,000 a year, you’re not really preparing yourself for what’s coming,” Whitfield said.
First and second readings of the ordinance adopting the new tax are set for Aug. 12 and Sept. 9.
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