God, Money and Stormwater

Elder Willie Johnson had a theological question for the lawmakers who want neighborhood churches like his to start paying for the cost of removing stormwater from their property. “My only concern is that God sends the rain,” Johnson (pictured) remarked at a crowded public hearing. “And how can we be charged for what God does?”

Aldermen Stephanie Bauer and Matt Smith responded with similarly spiritual questions, with an environmentalist bent: What penalties must people pay for disrupting God’s natural order with pollution and asphalt?

The exchange came at Thursday evening’s meeting of the Board of Aldermen’s “committee of the whole.” Aldermen gathered for the second time in this special committee (which includes all 30 members) to discuss a proposal that would create a Stormwater Authority. The new entity would have the power to collect fees from all city property owners to pay for the labor and infrastructure that goes into the removal of stormwater from the city—a proposal aimed at getting revenue from large not-for-profits like Yale to help close the city’s multimillion-dollar budget gap.

The Aldermanic Chamber was flooded with clergy and over 100 parishioners who showed up to speak out strongly against the proposed fee, which would be applied to religious institutions. Pastors spoke of the vital services they provide to the city on tight budgets that, they said, cannot afford a new fee.

The discussion at times ran to metaphysical questions about weather and the will of God.

A number of environmentalists spoke in favor of the proposal. City officials also testified, and were lambasted by aldermen for not having all the answers they were looking for, like how much the average church would expect to pay in stormwater fees.

After four hours of testimony, aldermen voted to table the matter pending further details about the proposal. It’s the second time that’s happened. The committee will eventually vote on whether or not to recommend the proposal for a final vote by the full board.

The Stormwater Authority proposal has proved to be controversial. Proponents say it will be a more equitable way to pay for stormwater removal, which is now funded by property taxes, and will enable a cash-strapped city to derive more revenue from large tax-exempt not-for-profits. Environmentalists applauded the fact that it would create an incentive for property owners to mitigate runoff, which is often polluted. Opponents say that the authority will amount to nothing more than a new tax on homeowners.

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