Stormwater Utility
The City of Fairfax Stormwater Utility was created on December 14, 2021, with an initial rate of $28.80 per billable unit.
Since its establishment, the annual rate increase has averaged 6%. A work session discussion originally scheduled for February 25, 2025 (agenda item 12d) was deferred to a future date; it was subsequently held on May 13, 2025 (agenda item 12c) with no action taken. On May 5, 2026, the City Council approved an ordinance amending Chapter 102, Article 5, Section 102-203B of the City Code to set the stormwater utility rate at $36.02 per billing unit for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2026 — a 5% increase — expected to generate approximately $3.4 million in user fees, roughly $162,000 more than the prior year.
The utility funds various capital and operational activities including stormwater outfall design to capture debris, urban forestry investment, and public education initiatives coordinated with the Environment and Sustainability Division; as of September 1, 2026, approximately $2.4 million remained open in the Stormwater Utility Fund for capital purposes.
Still open
- Whether the stormwater utility credit for marking storm drains (the 'only rain down the drain' program) remains currently active — a speaker on May 12, 2026 indicated uncertainty and said they would verify.
- Consolidation of lead responsibility among the three departments involved in tree maintenance and city-owned land management, which was recommended by a speaker on July 14, 2026 as a prerequisite to effectively deploying stormwater utility funds toward urban forestry.
- Award of upcoming stormwater outfall projects referenced as anticipated 'within the next month or so' as of May 12, 2026 — outcome not confirmed in the record.
- FY 2027 budget adoption outcome (scheduled as item 3g on May 5, 2026) — the appropriation resolutions for the stormwater utility fund were presented as pending that adoption; final confirmation is not recorded in the excerpts.
What members have said
Voted aye on the May 5, 2026 motion; no recorded comment beyond the vote.
- Hardy Chandler
Voted aye on the May 5, 2026 motion; no recorded comment beyond the vote.
Voted aye on the May 5, 2026 motion; no recorded comment beyond the vote.
- McClellan
Voted aye on the May 5, 2026 motion; no recorded comment beyond the vote.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
councilcommissionMinutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting, Jan 13, 2025 onward.
History
Filled dots are actions on this topic; open dots are mentions.
- Feb 25, 2025City Council · item 12dWork Session – Discussion and update on the Stormwater Utility
The work session discussion and update on the Stormwater Utility was deferred to a future date.
- May 13, 2025City Council · item 12cWork Session: Stormwater Utility Update
Council received a discussion and update on the Stormwater Utility in work session; no action taken.