McKim Calls for County Stormwater Utility

The following is a press release issued by DFMC A-List Candidate for Monroe County Council Geoff McKim.

Geoff McKim, Democratic candidate for the Monroe County Council, is proposing the creation of a county stormwater utility to control flooding, protect the county's bodies of water, and help fund the inevitable costs of growth more fairly. "Development – that is, replacing of natural vegetation with buildings, concrete, and other impervious surfaces – causes pollution of our lakes and streams, and also increases the incidence of flooding," said McKim. Thirteen of Monroe County's waterways have been declared "impaired" by the state. "We need a system that ensures that the County has the resources to manage the problem – it is the price we have to pay for growth."

"We don't have the option of ignoring the problem," McKim said. Federal and state regulations (the Clean Water Act and so-called "Rule 13" from the state) require that Monroe County regulate the drainage of stormwater in order to prevent pollutants from entering the county's waterways. These regulations are not accompanied by funding, however. "Rule 13 is basically an unfunded mandate, so unless we have a utility, the taxpayers foot the bill through property taxes," said McKim.

"Right now the City of Bloomington and Town of Ellettsville have stormwater utilities, but the county doesn't. This means not only that the resources for critical stormwater mitigation measures are grossly insufficient, but that what little funding there is comes out of property taxes. We can do better, though." A stormwater utility would establish a dedicated line of funding for small-scale stormwater and flood-control measures and ensure that overdevelopment isn't subsidized by the taxpayers.

McKim also believes that the utility could include incentives for more efficient and innovative construction that generates less stormwater runoff and pollution. "Smart building techniques, like permeable pavement and rain gardens can go a long way to mitigating these problems," McKim says. "Businesses and homeowners should be rewarded for creating and maintaining these features."

According to McKim, a stormwater utility would help both the environment and taxpayers. "With a county stormwater utility, we would have cleaner lakes and streams, reduced flooding, and fairer taxes."