Fees are sometimes inevitable
Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 13, 2003
It's something inevitable that would happen sooner or later.
Although taxes in the city of Austin are not slated to go up, there's a good chance that many residents will see a new fee come their way.
The stormwater utility fee would be used to pay for stormwater system maintenance and improvements that may not be covered by funds generated from general taxes.
If it's implemented, single-family residences would be charged $2.50 a month, manufactured homes would be $1.25 a unit per month and commercial and industrial properties would be charged $15 per acre per month.
Many other communities across Minnesota have had to make similar corrections to their systems to be in statewide compliance. Although no one likes additional fees, this is one that's needed for necessary infrastructural improvements.