Kitsap County Public Works is proposing increases to the stormwater utility fee for 2024-28.

In 2024, the proposed fee is $141 per year for a single-family residence, followed by $151 in 2025, $162 in 2026, $173 in 2027 and $182 in 2028.

The county’s fee in 2023 was $130, which was the lowest compared to other local municipalities. Bremerton’s annual fee this year is $258, followed by Poulsbo at $251, Bainbridge Island at $226 and Port Orchard at $168.

The fee structure proposal is based on results from the Stormwater Cost of Service and Rate Study conducted by the FCS Group this past summer, a county news release states. The county’s previous stormwater utility fee rate study was completed in 2017 and established rates through the end of 2023.

Stormwater programs are funded through a utility fee assessed annually to each developed property and road located within unincorporated Kitsap County. On your annual property tax, the fee is listed as “Stormwater Management.”

The fee pays for building new and improving existing stormwater facilities. The fee pays to operate and maintain stormwater pipes, drains and ponds that help manage the flow of stormwater runoff as well as facilities that help to remove pollutants before they drain to natural waterbodies like salmon streams and Puget Sound. The fee also funds the Clean Water Kitsap partnership, education and outreach activities, spill prevention and cleanup, and water-quality monitoring.