Rockingham County is moving forward with a plan to charge the residents of this area a fee for storm water run off from your property. The fee is to combat flooding in the "Lake Shenandoah (L S) Watershed" in low lying and flood prone areas caused by runoff from your property.  Currently the plan is to assess the fees based on estimates of roof and hardscape square footage from county GIS maps. The fees will be an amount per square foot and determined by the County and "L S Watershed Authority" to fund projects to mitigate the flooding in other areas. We didn't build in low lying, flood prone areas, while the county has approved developments and buildings in low lying flood prone areas for years and now want us to pay for fixing the problem. 

Not only do they want selected residents to pay for the problem initially, but there is no regulation mentioned or details on the scope and determined length of time for the projects and charges. By being left open, this can quickly become a never ending Fee/Taxation with potential annual increases on residents for whatever they feel they need more money to address. There needs to be accountability and a responsible end to this. There is mention of ongoing operation and maintenance costs over a 10 year period but no guarantee when it will end or if the fees will end. There is also mention that if the total costs turn out to be lower than expected, the annual fee would be reduced accordingly.  There is no mention of ending the fee or bringing any overages before public hearings before raising the fees.

The fee is opposed by many residents based upon the Counties same logic for other projects; that any county resident could and does routinely use the area at any time especially since there is a public park and lake in the heart of the area.  Any projects therefore to fix issues as described by the County and L S Stormwater Control Authority could and should argueably be funded by the general fund.

Fellow neighbors and friends, the time to act is now.  Please send them your feedback and attend the upcoming meeting on June 10. Additionally, we are asking for signatures in support of Rockingham County and L S Watershed Authority with respect to the below actions.

If fee assessments does pass despite many opposed, we, below are signing this petition asking for the following:

1. To insure a detailed definition and limit the projects needed and cost to do those.  As long as new development approvals have responsible watershed standards, then the problem and solution should be finite in nature and any fees assessed also finite with an end date with no increases during the project timeline without further public hearings.

2. Determine a reasonable definitive end to the fee and cap any overages until fully vetted in public hearings.

3. Provide detailed accounting of where the money is spent and utilized readily accessible to the residents at reasonable intervals defined as Monthly, Quarterly and Annually to insure the funds are used appropriately for their intended purpose.

4. Sunset or END the fee permanently at completion of defined projects and scope.

We need everyone together to control the situation and hold our local government accountable.