"The law allows each of the state’s 565 municipalities to set up its own public stormwater utility. The new bureaucracies will build and manage sewer systems to treat pollutant-filled stormwater runoff. The infrastructure could cost billions, state authorities say. Under the law, the utilities can levy steep fees on properties with large parking lots, long driveways, or big buildings — which create the most runoff. The state would scoop up 5 percent of the proceeds."
NJ Governor Murphy is expected to sign into law a bill that would allow the state's individual municipalities to levy a tax on properties with large nonpermeable surfaces in order to fund wastewater infrastructure. The article notes that a similar measure in MD was so hated that it contributed to Republican Larry Hogan's unexpected 2012 victory in that state's gubernatorial election.
