In 2022, the City of Fairfax began implementation of a new stormwater utility (SWU), an enterprise fund dedicated to providing stormwater services, including both operations and capital program development and execution.  With the SWU ordinance in place, the first SWU fee bill was issued in November 2022, included on the City’s Real Estate tax bill as a separate line item.  Once billing began, much of the City’s preparation for the rollout of the SWU would quickly be tested.  This presentation will discuss the City’s rollout preparations, with special emphasis on the lead-up to the issuance of the initial SWU bill, highlighting the measures employed and assessing their value to the City in the months leading up to the first bill.

The presentation will then turn to the challenges encountered – both expected and unexpected – and how the City addressed them to encourage successful interactions with the rate-paying public; keep the program administratively manageable, and move the City’s broader stormwater management program forward.