18138_Authority_Feb

62 The Authority | February 2025 allows municipal authorities to engage in stormwater management, planning, and implementation. Additionally, Act 123 of 2014 gave municipal authorities the right to charge reasonable and uniform rates, based on property characteristics to fund stormwater planning and management programs. In 2023, a Commonwealth Court case (Borough of West Chester v. Pa. State Sys. Of Higher Educ.) upended this approach by ruling that a stormwater fee is a tax and state agencies are exempt from paying for local stormwater programs. Supported by this ruling, other tax-exempt entities believe that they should not be paying the fee, and in some cases should be refunded for their past payments. Declaring stormwater charges taxes forces taxpayers to subsidize costs from runoff of tax- exempt properties. The Commonwealth Court case has been appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the case was heard on September 11, 2024. Other Challenges – In addition to those challenges mentioned above, like other local governments, PMAA members experienced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. To name a few, these challenges included increasing costs due to inflation and supply chain issues, water contamination, aging infrastructure, severe weather disasters, water system resiliency and emergency preparedness, and a shrinking workforce. Despite much effort having been made to improve these areas, all these challenges continue today. OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Design Arsenic Removal | Biological Nutrient Removal Iron & Manganese Removal Distribution & Collection Systems | Pumping Stations Storage Facilities | Act 537 Plans Chapter 94 Reports | TMDL Reports Infiltration & Inflow Studies Construction Administration & Observation Drone Services | Grant Services Corporate Office: 949 Easton Road Warrington, PA 18976 215.343.5700 433 Lancaster Avenue Suite 200 Malvern, PA 19355 610.489.5100 101 Larry Holmes Drive Suite 201 Easton, PA 18042 610.989.4940 630 Freedom Business Center Third Floor King of Prussia, PA 19406 610.572.7093 105 Raider Boulevard Suite 206 Hillsborough, NJ 08844 908.874.7500 Providing Our Authority Clients With Solutions Since 1973