City Of San Marcos Changes Stormwater Utility Rate Structure. How Much More Will You Have To Pay?
Staff
San Marcos – In what the city calls “An effort to establish a financial framework for a more equitable and sustainable customer rate structure,” the City of San Marcos is introducing an updated stormwater utility fee structure effective October 1, 2020, pending Council approval during the FY21 budget process.
The stormwater utility fee is a funding source for drainage improvement projects and operation/maintenance for pipes, channels, stormwater detention, and water quality facilities. The goal of drainage projects is to reduce flooding, improve water quality, and maintain regulatory compliance.
“The stormwater utility was implemented in 1999 with an original fee structure based on lot size or land-use type,” said Laurie Moyer, Director of Engineering and Capital Improvements. “The new system, which is widely used across Texas drainage utilities, determines the rate more accurately by calculating it based on impervious surface coverage, rather than property size.”
Impervious surfaces such as rooftops, parking areas, driveways, compacted surfaces, and private walkways increase the volume and flow rate of stormwater runoff.
As a result, the amount of impervious surface on each benefitted property is proportional to its use of the City’s drainage infrastructure system.
“Our stormwater infrastructure is so important in San Marcos due to our high probability for flooding,” said Moyer. “While many stormwater utility customers will experience a monthly fee change with the transition to the new structure, the average customer will see a seventy-nine cent change per month.”
Aerial photography has been used to determine the amount of impervious surface on each land parcel in the City, and a fee will be assigned based on impervious surface coverage as well as residential or non-residential (commercial, retail, multifamily, etc.) status.
A Stormwater Utility Fee Lookup tool was developed to assist property owners with determining their new Stormwater Utility Fee, available here: http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/stormwaterfee.
For additional stormwater utility rate information or to submit questions regarding the new stormwater utility fee, visit the Stormwater Utility Fee page, contact the Engineering and Capital Improvements Department at (512) 393-8130 or email stormwaterinfo@sanmarcostx.gov.
Love it. It’s all true.
Kinda like the free stormwater drainage infrastructure the City provides to all of the properties located in our City-owned by Texas State University who pays absolutely NOTHING to the City for those services because any property acquired by Texas State becomes 100% tax-free!
And with each property removed from city tax roles, guess who shoulders the proportional loss? Simply view this as Texas State’s “Go Fund Me” account
Love it. Because it’s all true and known as inverse taxation. Texas State University is all about owning you.
Oh, and don’t bother guessing who built and paid for the forty-foot wide stormwater culvert running through our downtown city park for purposes of draining Texas State’s stadium properties into the San Marcos River? (it crosses underneath Charles Austin and then runs length of the Park behind the library and activity center alongside the railroad track. Maybe I should mention the total amount of acreage includes a two-acre detention “pond” next to the dog park).
This matter was never put to the voters upon whether we would approve the confiscation of our dedicated city park property on behalf of Texas State because even if we did, it would still be prohibited under state law.
As a matter of fact, thanks to the City, we the public no longer even own Jowers Rd, although we remain forced tp enter it from Charles Austin Dr., because it’s our only entrance to the Park and Rec Center, Want to guess WHO owns it?
The foregoing was intended to provide a very, very small example of ongoing corruption at the hands of our ruling elite who much as any junkie facing withdrawal, never considers as too great the cost of any remedy which can be borne by another. Namely yourself, which at hand means more taxes, as opposed to having simply given away capital improvements and parklands to Texas State as was purchased by and through the proceeds of past taxation.
But, on a lighter note, be heartened to know that TSUS President Denise Trauth remains committed to indoctrinating your children with the cultural division and racial hate necessary for succeeding in these unsure times.
Jim Reece