Monkey County Loves the Bay

Montgomery County bill would raise fees, charge businesses

The Montgomery County Council is considering a bill to impose a fee on businesses and could increase fees to residences to help pay for the maintenance and upgrade of its stormwater management system.

The measure complies with a 2012 state law that requires counties to set up a Chesapeake Bay watershed protection and restoration program by July 1.

The fees would be phased in over three years and apply to commercial, nonprofit and religious properties.

The proposal would institute a tiered system of fees for residential and nonresidential properties. While a single-family home with 4,000 square feet of property that water cannot seep underneath pays $98 a month under the current law, it would pay $136 under the proposed law. Smaller properties of 1,000 square feet or less would pay about $34 under the proposal, and large properties with more than 6,215 square feet would pay about $170.

As one of the main centers of liberal politics in Maryland and one of the richest counties in the United States, it only seems fitting that Montgomery County pays its fair share (and more) for stormwater management.