Fernandina Beach & Nassau County · Independent local reporting
Amelia Undertow

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City utilities · Flooding

The Rain Has a New Price Tag in Fernandina

A new stormwater billing structure reaches rooftops, parking lots and the drainage system beneath them. The city’s posted schedule shows who could pay more and why.

By Amelia Undertow · Published October 13, 2026 · Records checked October 13, 2026

Editorial illustration of rainwater flowing toward a street drain
Editorial illustration. This is not a documented Fernandina Beach street or property.
Why it matters

City property owners should check how much impervious surface the city assigns to their parcel. The city’s posted examples range from $8.38 to $33.50 a month for single-family tiers; a large commercial lot can be assessed differently than a small one.

Fernandina Beach has moved to change how it charges for stormwater service. At its September 1 commission meeting, Ordinance 2026-10 came before commissioners for a third reading to replace flat charges with calculations based more closely on hard surfaces such as roofs and pavement. The city’s stormwater FAQ describes the new structure and example monthly rates.

For a single-family home, the city’s posted examples put the small tier, under 1,500 square feet of impervious area, at $8.38 monthly; the middle tier, 1,501 to 6,000 square feet, at $16.75; and the large tier, over 6,000 square feet, at $33.50. The FAQ says the earlier equivalent residential unit rate was $14.36. For commercial and industrial parcels, the posted method converts measured impervious area into units of 3,000 square feet at $16.75 per unit. These are the city’s published examples; an individual account’s charge depends on its classification and measured area. City FAQ, checked October 13

The change is connected to a physical backlog. The city says current staffing allows drainage-system maintenance roughly once every 2.5 to 3 years. Its proposed funding plan would add three staff and support more frequent work, along with more than $7 million in improvements identified for a five-year period. City FAQ A March 9 stormwater rate study says the old rates would become insufficient for the planned operating, reserve and capital program beginning in fiscal 2027. That is the consultant’s forecast, not a finding that a particular street will flood.

The city’s FAQ still uses the word “proposed” and an earlier vote date, even though the commission considered the ordinance again September 1. We have not checked individual October utility bills or confirmed how the city has phased the new charges onto every account. If your bill changes, compare the assigned surface area and tier with the city’s stormwater page and ask the utility to explain the calculation or appeal process.

What remains unanswered

Sources

  1. City of Fernandina Beach, stormwater FAQ and example rates; checked October 13, 2026.
  2. City commission, September 1, 2026 meeting, Ordinance 2026-10.
  3. City of Fernandina Beach, Fiscal Year 2026 Stormwater Utility Rate Study, March 9, 2026.
  4. City of Fernandina Beach, Stormwater Department page; checked October 13, 2026.

The city FAQ retains pre-adoption wording. The exact charge on an individual bill has not been independently checked. The rate study is a forecast; it does not prove that a specific project is funded or complete. Analysis and interpretation are those of Amelia Undertow; factual claims are linked to the records above. Send a correction through our corrections page.