by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
Sanibel is the only municipality in Southwest Florida without a Stormwater Assessment District.
Sanibel’s geography as a barrier island, combined with its commitment to environmental protection and water quality, makes stormwater management a critical component of long-term resilience. At its October 21, 2025, meeting, the City Council received introductory information on a potential stormwater assessment program. At that meeting, the Council expressed a desire to explore establishing a stormwater assessment program.
Municipalities across Florida commonly rely on dedicated stormwater utilities, supported by assessments or fee structures, to maintain compliance and fund infrastructure needs. Determining how to set up and maintain such a program requires specialized knowledge and consultation. These fees are commonly imposed annually and collected by the county tax collector as residents and businesses remit their tax payments.
At its December 16, 2025, meeting, the City Council authorized $25,000 in funding for a consultant to assist the City in determining the appropriateness of a stormwater assessment program.
The assessment approach is especially useful for funding stormwater management. As discussed in several public meetings, as a barrier island, Sanibel faces unique drainage challenges and rising maintenance costs.
A dedicated stormwater assessment would ensure that the City has reliable, long-term funding for the City’s stormwater management program that the City may borrow against (for project funding).
The City has long-established assessment fees for other public works projects, such as the dredging of waterways, garbage collection, and canal trimming.
The process to adopt a stormwater assessment program is:
· What Council is doing at its January 13 meeting: adopting an initial resolution that notifies property owners of the intent to levy the assessment (must be done prior to March 1 of the preceding year the assessment is to be collected)
· Providing mailed and published notice to affected property owners
· Holding a public hearing and adopting a final resolution prior to September 1 of the preceding year, the assessment is to be collected.
How Southwest Florida Local Governments are Funding Stormwater Projects
• City of Fort Myers: The fee is based on total impervious area per parcel. A calculation is performed to determine a standard impervious unit (SIU), and then that rate is multiplied by a set billing rate. (Average Single Family Home – $155.52 per year).
• City of Cape Coral: Both vacant and improved properties are billed as part of the stormwater management system. The stormwater fee is based on the property’s square footage and is calculated as an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) multiplied by the rate set each year by the Council. An ERU is 10,000 sq. ft and is the standard unit used to calculate a property’s fees. The stormwater fee is billed once a year as a non-ad valorem tax on the annual property tax bill, covering October 1 through September 30. (Average Single-Family Home – $163.90 per year).
• Town of Fort Myers Beach: establishes a monthly ERU-based stormwater utility fee annually by resolution. (Average Single Family Home (4,414 sq. ft.) $37.64 per month – $451.68 annually).
• City of Naples: The fee is calculated using a utility-based approach as opposed to an annual assessment. Fees are included in the monthly utility billing. Naples divides the city into several stormwater assessment basins to better align user charges with operational expenses. (Average Single Family Home $48.50 every 2 months – $291.00 annually).
City Council voted unanimously to approve this Resolution.
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