No stormwater fee to be assessed in November | News

Polk County, Florida-- Polk County property owners will not be assessed stormwater fees as part of their tax bill this November, the board of County Commissioners announced Friday.

County Commissioners removed the assessment from its $1.3 billion budget during the first Public Hearing on the 2012-13 budget.. 

"The stormwater fee would have generated up to $9.6 million annually to fund projects that meet mandated federal and state requirements that would reduce the level of pollutants in stormwater runoff," said a release about the update.

"Commissioners said during the hearing they wanted more detailed plans and to explore other options before any further consideration of this issue, " said County Manager, Jim Freeman in the release.  

A Public Hearing on the Stormwater Assessment has been advertised for September 13, 2012 after the final budget adoption. Because it was advertised, the hearing will remain on the agenda but no action will be taken to levy a stormwater assessment this year in light of the Board’s removal of the $9.6 million from the final budget.

Commissioners say property owners who already started the process of applying for mitigation credits will no longer need to do so. 

For more information please call the Parks and Natural Resources Division at 863-534-7377.