Lakeland city commissioners declined to vote on a proposed stormwater fee increase, saying the plan placed too much of the financial burden on commercial businesses.
Lakeland city commissioners did not pass a proposed stormwater fee increase on Monday, sending the plan back for further review amid concerns about how costs would be distributed.
The proposal would have raised stormwater fees to fund more than $69 million in drainage and water quality projects. City officials say aging infrastructure, environmental requirements and repeated flooding have created a $9.3 million annual funding gap.
While commissioners agreed the projects need to be funded, several said the proposed fee structure placed an outsized burden on businesses. Some commercial properties could have seen increases of up to 300%.
“I felt like our biggest job creators and commercial partners were carrying a heavy burden with up to 300% increases,” Commissioner Stephanie Madden said.
Madden said she supports funding the projects but believes the plan can be adjusted to spread costs more evenly.
“I just think there’s a way to look at all the puzzle, as complex as it is, to see if there are some nuances or things we could do to still get the $69 million but not make certain customers do the heavy lifting paying for it all,” she said.
Other commissioners defended higher fees for some businesses, pointing to how stormwater impact is measured.
“If a business covers more pervious ground, then they have the onus to pay more of it,” Commissioner Guy Lalonde Jr. said.
Mayor Bill Mutz cautioned that years without increases have made any change more difficult, but said the work cannot be delayed.
“It’s going to be a big change. It needs to be done,” Mutz said. “All the flooding issues we’re talking about — if we aren’t being responsible and doing the projects we know need to be done today and are going to cost more later, we are not doing our jobs.”
The commission ultimately did not approve the proposal as written. Commissioners are now asking for a workshop to bring stakeholders together and develop a new plan to spread out the costs.