Annapolis, MD – New research shows that Maryland voters have a large lack of understanding about Maryland’s stormwater law, which opponents incorrectly call the “rain tax.” State law call for local stormwater programs to be funded by a fee on hard surfaces that produce excessive runoff, such as rooftops, driveways and parking lots. A new statewide poll finds that inaccurate perceptions and continued misinformation have greatly enhanced opposition to the fee, which is required only in Maryland’s ten most populous jurisdictions. Federal regulations require those areas to reduce pollution that is contaminating local waterways, causing flooding, erosion and public health concerns.

The Clean Water, Healthy Families coalition released the survey results <link> as the Maryland Senate considers legislation that would repeal the state requirement for the local stormwater fee. OpinionWorks, LLC of Annapolis, MD conducted the poll of 594 registered voters.

“Our survey found that the rhetoric surrounding the fee has a negative and distorting effect on voters’ understanding of how they will pay, how much they will pay and even if they have to pay,” said Steve Raabe, president of OpinionWorks. “Despite the attention on this fee, it is still widely misunderstood. This scientifically-conducted poll documents a very different picture of voter opinion than the exaggerated narrative of overwhelming opposition that has been created around this issue.”

Among the key findings in the survey:

  • Fifty percent of voters incorrectly believe that people will actually be taxed when it rains. Many voters are not sure, leaving only 29 percent who know they will not be taxed when it rains.
  • Three-quarters of voters (75 percent) could not even guess how much they are charged for their stormwater fee. Of those who did offer a guess, most guessed too high.
  • Initially, based just on what they have heard or read, 40 percent of respondents say they opposed the fee, 23 percent say they support it and 26 percent have no feelings either way
  • However, with some basic facts about the fee and its purpose to clean up polluted runoff, support doubles to 46 percent and outweighs opposition, which falls to 35 percent.

Advocates said they were concerned about the high number of Marylanders who had been misinformed about the stormwater fund.

“No one is being taxed on the rain – or snow — that falls on their roof, or elsewhere,” said Alison Prost, Maryland executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “Rain is natural, but polluted runoff is man-made and filled with dog waste, weed killer and trash. It’s the largest source of water pollution in many urban and suburban areas and needs to be cleaned up. To do that, local governments need dedicated funding.  We are calling on the Hogan Administration and the General Assembly to take actions to clean up pollution that is fouling our water.” 

“These survey results correspond to what we are hearing from our member groups,” said Brent Bolin, clean water coalition director for the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. “The more people know about the local stormwater programs, the more likely they are to support them. This is a much different story than what Governor Hogan and other opponents of the fee are telling the media.”

“More than 1,400 communities in 41 states across the country have dedicated stormwater fee programs in place to reduce polluted runoff and manage local flooding,” said Halle Van der Gaag, executive director of Blue Water Baltimore. “Marylanders need to know that these programs work all across the country to protect our health, support our infrastructure and provide engineering, planning and construction jobs to our citizens.”

The full poll results and a polling memo are available on the Resources page of the coalition’s website: www.cleanwaterhealthyfamilies.org.