Achieving community consensus on stormwater funding in Fairfax, Virginia

The City of Fairfax faced a dual challenge of meeting sustainability and equity goals with its stormwater program. The existing funding model was insufficient to cover operating costs, and more critically, it was structurally unfair. Residential properties were shouldering a disproportionate financial burden, while commercial properties paid less than their share, and untaxed entities paid nothing at all.

Under a proposed, more equitable fee structure, businesses would pay more, residential properties would pay less, and untaxed properties, such as faith-based organizations, would have a large, new expense to cover. The City faced a pivotal moment: fixing the financial imbalance risked triggering a backlash that could "tear the community apart," threatening the viability of the program and public trust in the Council.

Raftelis developed a research-based strategic communications plan with the goal of maintaining community peace while persuading the city council to approve the new fee structure. The work included developing a clear message platform that focused on the equity message, as well as a variety of print and digital materials to ensure that all community members were reached with information that was relevant and contextually appropriate. Raftelis also facilitated a series of meetings so that stakeholders in each customer category could learn about the new fee, how it would impact them, and have a voice in the fee development.  

[[CTA:subscribe]]

More than two hours of comments were received at the public hearing, with the majority in favor of the new fee, which influenced the city council to approve it. Input from Raftelis, collected from the faith-based and business communities, was used by the city to expand the credit program and delay the start date, allowing these impacted stakeholders to financially plan for the change. 

The engagement transformed a potentially divisive issue into a successful policy launch, characterized by community buy-in and responsive governance.