CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing Tuesday night for the Metropolitan Sewer District's annual budget, with community activists calling for new fees on large parking lots.
The budget presented by MSD would increase revenue without raising sewer rates for residents. However, members of Communities United for Action and Sierra Club Miami Group believe there's a way to actually decrease those rates.
Members of the groups performed a skit ahead of the budget hearing, with one person dressed as the Grinch saying, "We, the board of county commissioners, are taking all the money for presents and decorations and giving it to MSD."
The activists feel revenue is being left on the table without an "impervious surface fee."
"We want them to implement this impervious surface fee so everybody all of the rate payers are paying their fair share," said Alison Kromer, director of CUFA.
The proposed fee would charge owners of large parking lots -- 2 acres or more -- for rainwater runoff that flows into drains and gets treated in the sewer system.
"Those of us who pay for sewage are paying double because we're paying for the owners of large parking lots who are paying for nothing," said Larry Falkin.
The budget proposal from the Metropolitan Sewer District will not include a rate increase for residential homeowners. Director Diana Christy said that's because they've changed the rate structure so anyone who consumes more than 50 cubic feet of water will pay the same rate as people using less, where before the rate was lower.
"It is our commercial and industrial customers this year that are going to feel that increase," Christy said.
The Sewer District is not recommending an impervious surface fee despite including it in a proposal in May. Christy said stormwater is part of the calculation when they set rates.
"Nobody is getting what I would consider a free ride that is part of what you're paying for. It's just not charged on an impervious area fee," Christy said.
Robert Park said he thinks the system could be more equitable.
"Some people are going to have to pay more. These are people that have been freeloaders for decades with their runoff that are now going to have to pay their fair share," Park said.
Christy mentioned one initiative they're potentially going to roll out in early 2026. The idea is to work with property owners of large lots, see how much runoff they're contributing to the sewer system, and work on ways to mitigate that.