Halifax Water stormwater fee should be taken off bills, argues councillor
$39 fee to handle rain and snow runoff could be collected as tax, says Russell Walker
A councillor in Halifax says he'll try to get an unpopular stormwater fee from Halifax Water removed from water bills and get it charged as a tax, instead.
Regional council previously voted for Halifax Water to collect the annual HRM right-of-way charge, which is often called the ditch tax.
The fee, which is $39 per household, covers the cost of handling rain and snow runoff from Halifax streets. The fee currently applies only to homes within the boundary where Halifax Water provides stormwater service.
Coun. Russell Walker thinks it's more appropriate to collect the money as a tax and he plans to bring it up at Tuesday's regional council meeting. He said he's working to win the support of two thirds of councillors for the vote to succeed.
"I don't think there's enough support because of the confusion around the billing even with councillors," he said Friday.
"Some councillors are very concerned. They're happy with the way it is now because they don't receive that fee for their residents. They don't want to see it being added to their tax bills."
Walker believes it's possible to collect the fee as a tax without applying it to any new households.