Under the unfunded mandate brought about by the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 as amended by the Water Quality Act of 1987, and the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act of 1977, local governments must bear full financial responsibility for implementing and maintaining a stormwater management program. The Tennessee Dept. of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) requires the City to implement a stormwater management program. Tenn. Code Annotated §68-221-1107 authorizes municipalities to establish and charge a stormwater user fee. Even before the initial stormwater permit was issued in 2003, the City’s General Fund has provided 100% funding for all stormwater related expenses. A defined user fee will allow the City to address increasing expenses, as well as the list of pending projects and improvements to the stormwater system that have been delayed due to budget constraints. The City will continue to budget a portion of General Fund monies to finance the costs of the stormwater management program each year and does not expect the user fees to cover all expenses related to the stormwater management program.
