Orange County commissioners voted Tuesday to delay further study on a potential stormwater utility fee until after Florida voters have decided whether to pass a constitutional amendment reducing homeowner property taxes this November.
County staff had been looking into whether to charge a stormwater fee and gathering public feedback at community meetings. Ultimately, commissioners decided they’d aim to revisit the matter at a meeting early next year.
Context and community input
Orange County adopted a stormwater utility ordinance in 1996. At that time, the fee was set to $0 — and it hasn’t changed since.
Now, staff have identified more than $1 billion worth of stormwater projects to improve drainage and water quality infrastructure, according to Julie Bortles, a project manager with the county’s public works department…