Frustratingly Fickle on Stormwater

Here in the Baltimore region, we love our Inner Harbor and Chesapeake Bay. Make fun of the beloved blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) adorning our sweatshirts, t-shirts, and yard flags, and things will get personal real quick. Yet somehow, the moment we are told we have to help cover the cost of cleaning up polluted stormwater that flows into the Harbor and Bay from our communities, we’re like, “Wait. What?”

Stormwater flowing into Baltimore Harbor 9/15

I opened up the Baltimore Sun this morning (yes, I still read a newspaper) and saw this article on the Baltimore County (Maryland) Council’s plans to eliminate the storm water remediation fee assessed to property owners. It is disappointing to see the county elected officials looking for politically popular stances that kick the can down the road and ignore the long-term costs of avoided action. Nobody likes increased taxes and fees, but I prefer to know that I am contributing dedicated dollars for a specific issue, rather than sending it to a big pot that gets divvied up based on the partisan flavor of the year.