This item is before the City Council to solicit public comment on the stormwater utility assessment fee levied against all developed property in the City and to adopt Resolution No. 2020-52, which approves the assessment and allows for certification to Pasco County.

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. As part of that process, parcel owners who were not assessed a stormwater non-ad valorem assessment in the previous year are given an opportunity to make public comment and address the City Council concerning the stormwater non-ad valorem assessment.

Property owners who have been added to the non-ad valorem assessment roll or whose assessments have changed since last year were noticed by mail on August 26, 2020. Those property owners have been advised of the Public Hearing being held this evening, September 22, 2020. Examples of properties or parcels which may have been added or changed since last year:

• Properties annexed into the City of New Port Richey

• Properties whose ERUs (Equivalent Residential Unit) changed (went up or down) due to corrections to the impervious surface area or classification change

• Properties which were added to the roll because of new construction on the parcel

• Properties which were missed last year and now corrected

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 not changed from last year ($80.00 per ERU or Equivalent Residential Unit).