Silver Lake Council adopts storm utility fee

The ordinance has been in the works for months and the Silver Lake City Council approved a storm water utility at its Feb. 21 meeting.
City Clerk Kerry Venier said the purpose of the utility is not to make a lot of money, but to lessen the tax burden on the cost of maintenance and repairs of the system.
The new utility is estimated to generate around $13,200 annually. The city has spent nearly $72,000 on repairs and maintenance from 2011-2016.
Currently, the storm water system maintenance is paid out of the general fund through the tax levy. However, some of the largest users to the system — school, churches  and city facilities — are tax exempt and therefore do not contribute to the general fund. By establishing the utility, all users would contribute.
 

Read the full story in the March 1 edition of The McLeod County Chronicle.