Summary

The King County Council on Tuesday approved legislation sponsored by Vice Chair Reagan Dunn that reduces Surface Water Management (SWM) Fees for low-income property owners in unincorporated King County.

Story

The King County Council on Tuesday approved legislation sponsored by Vice Chair Reagan Dunn that reduces Surface Water Management (SWM) Fees for low-income property owners in unincorporated King County.

The new program creates a 50% discount for property owners who earn 200% or less of the federal poverty level*. It aims to provide financial relief to low-income property owners to help them maintain ownership of their property.

“A lot of folks continue to struggle economically as a result of the pandemic,” Dunn said. “By providing this SWM fee relief program, King County is coming alongside those who are most in need and ultimately making it easier for financially burdened homeowners to stay in their home.”

King County’s SWM fees pay for efforts to protect the Puget Sound’s water quality and provides services to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff. To provide for these services, property owners in unincorporated King County are assessed a surface water management fee to account for property that is impervious to runoff. In 2020-2021, the SWM fee for private residences was $289.

The King County Department of Natural Resources will begin community outreach and applications this summer, and the discount program will go into effect in time for the 2022 billing cycle. This program would be available to property owners in unincorporated King County, where the SWM Fee is collected.

*According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the poverty threshold for a family of four in 2021 is $26,500 so a family of four earning $53,000 annually or less would qualify for the discount.