San Diego’s stormwater system property tax measure inches closer to ballot
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A tax measure to increase funding to fix the city of San Diego’s aging stormwater system is moving closer towards making it on the November ballot.
The city’s Rules Committee voted unanimously in a meeting on Thursday to ask city staff to prepare language for the measure, which would create a tax based on square footage of a property that can and cannot absorb water.
Revenue from the fee would be put towards closing a $1.6 billion funding shortfall for a backlog of projects to maintain and update San Diego’s stormwater system — an issue that has come under heightened scrutiny following January’s historic flooding.
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In a presentation in February, a staffer for City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said the measure would likely be modeled after Measure W in Los Angeles County, a 2.5-cent parcel tax that was passed by voters in 2018 to generate funds for the city’s stormwater capture projects and programs.
The fee is calculated based on square footage of “impermeable areas,” which are sections of a property with a surface that does not allow water to pass through. For Los Angeles residents, this includes stretches of concrete or asphalt, as well as constructions like buildings, sheds and pools.
The tax generates about $280 million each year, according to the Safe Clean Water Program implemented alongside the measure.
San Diego previously attempted to put a ballot measure similar to Los Angeles’ parcel tax in 2022, but it was ultimately axed by city officials after polls showed there was not enough support to meet the threshold to pass.
With Thursday’s vote, city officials are anticipated to bring a recommendation back to the Rules Committee in June. At this time, it is unclear exactly what San Diego’s version of the stormwater property tax will look like.
City officials say they are continuing to work on creating a funding structure for the measure, although they said they are exploring a fee around four to 10 cents per square foot of impermeable area.
However, San Diego’s Independent Budget Analyst found it would take a fee of upwards of 26 cents per square foot to fully fund the stormwater system — an estimate one staffer described as showing “how deep of a hole the city has dug on this issue.”
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