In September 2001, the City Council adopted an ordinance establishing a Stormwater Utility Assessment in the City of New Port Richey. Section 403.0893, Florida Statutes, specifically authorizes a municipality to establish stormwater management as a municipal utility function for which utility fees may be levied. The ordinance created a method of generating revenue for the stormwater utility by way of assessment. These assessment fees are collected each year as non-ad valorem assessments to the property owners, under the provisions of Chapter 197, Florida Statutes. These fees are chargeable to the property owner, regardless of whether or not a property is tenant occupied.
The City has found that the use of a non-ad valorem assessment is the most equitable method of providing the necessary funding for improvements and extensions of the City’s stormwater utility system.
Each year, the City must certify its stormwater non-ad valorem assessment roll. Normally, as part of that process, only parcel owners who did not pay a stormwater non-ad valorem assessment in the previous year, or whose stormwater non-ad valorem assessment changed from the previous year, are given an opportunity to make public comment and address the City Council concerning the stormwater non-ad valorem assessment. However, since there was a change in the methodology and an increase in the assessment rate, all property owners affected were notified by mail on August 3, 2017 about this public hearing.
The billing of the stormwater assessment fee is administered by Pasco County and can be seen as a line item in the non-ad valorem portion of the County tax bill. All property owners receive notice of their non-ad valorem assessments on their Notice of Proposed Property Taxes (TRIM Notice).
The stormwater utility fee is established by City ordinance. The dollar amount of the stormwater utility fee has changed from last year ($77.36 per ERU or Equivalent Residential Unit to $80.00/per ERU).