Title
Request for Public Hearing on adjustments to the County’s Major System Component Fee for FY27
Action
ACTION:
Schedule a public hearing for May 21, 2026 to receive comments on the proposed revisions to the County's Storm Water Major System component fee.
Staff Contact: Ebenezer S. Gujjarlapudi, Director, PE, LUESA
Don Ceccarelli, Storm Water Director, LUESA
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
In 1994, the County implemented a Storm Water fee to fund the administration of storm water management programs to improve water quality, reduce flood losses and repair/maintain the storm drainage system.
By interlocal agreements among Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, and the Towns, the storm water fee has three components. The purpose of this Board Action is to set a public hearing for May 21 2026, to receive public comments regarding the County’s Major System component of the Storm Water fee. The City of Charlotte and the Town of Cornelius are considering altering their components of the fee that is charged within their jurisdictions. Those requests will be addressed separately in the budget process.
Major System Component (Countywide):
The major system of the storm water system is defined as large creeks and rivers (examples: Little Sugar Creek, McDowell Creek, West Branch Rocky River, Catawba River, etc.) that drain more than 1 square mile and is the responsibility of the County throughout the County. The additional revenue will be used to expand County Storm Water’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) consistent with the Environmental Leadership Action Plan (ELAP).
The proposed fees for the Major System Component are as follows:
Tier I: $1.36 to $1.56 per month
Tier II: $2.07 to $2.38 per month
Tier III: $3.16 to $3.63 per month
Tier IV: $5.88 to $6.76 per month
Commercial: $36.36 to $41.82 per acre of impervious acre
MCSWS requests a public hearing be set in accordance with the Storm Water Management Interlocal Agreement and State law for considering such increases.
On March 10, 2026, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Advisory Committee unanimously endorsed the County’s FY2027 Operating and Capital budgets (including the above fee increases) and forwarded its recommendations to the County Manager and the Board of County Commissioners.
PROCUREMENT BACKGROUND:
N/A
POLICY IMPACT:
FY27 $4,340,000 increase in Major System revenue. No County dollar impact.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A