The Rain Tax: How We Got Here
People in Northeastern Pennsylvania have questioned the rain tax since the first bills arrived in 2019. This timeline brings together local news coverage and official records so you can follow what happened—and see why the push for a different way to pay for clean water work continues.
2019: The bills arrive
January: The Times Leader reports that the first stormwater bills are being mailed.
Spring: Residents raise concerns about the fee at a Butler Township meeting.
June: WNEP covers the “End the Rain Tax” group as neighbors organize against the bill.
September: WNEP reports that property owners with unpaid bills received warnings of possible legal action and liens.
October: EPA explains the stormwater requirements and funding choices. Communities must do the water protection work, but EPA says they have choices about how to pay for it.
2020: Residents and officials keep asking questions
January: The Times Leader reports that Luzerne County is reviewing possible legal action.
February: WNEP covers a public meeting about repealing the rain tax and reports that bills discussed there ranged from $65 to $2,000 a year.
February: Luzerne County Council passes a resolution concerning the stormwater fee.
March: Then-Congressman Matt Cartwright writes “Mr. President, Kill the Rain Tax”, an opinion piece in The Citizens’ Voice addressed to President Trump.
March: The Times Leader reports that Luzerne County will not pursue a lawsuit at that time. The debate over how to pay for the work continues.
2022–2024: The issue remains in public view
2022: The Times Leader reports on a Luzerne County partnership involving stormwater fee credits.
2024: Residents bring up the rain tax at a Wilkes-Barre City Council meeting, years after the first bills arrived.
2025: Local concerns reach EPA leadership
March: WVIA covers a Northeastern Pennsylvania meeting with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Congressman Rob Bresnahan, and local officials.
August: EPA gives Bresnahan’s office a written answer about the fee. His office later reports that federal law does not require a stormwater fee, while water protection requirements remain.
State action: The Times Leader covers State Rep. Brenda Pugh’s resolution calling for action on stormwater costs.
2026: A federal change—and more work to do
April: A Pennsylvania House committee examines proposals for a different funding approach. No replacement funding plan is in place.
September 16: A new executive order revokes the 2009 Chesapeake Bay order. It directs EPA to work with states on costs and other ways to meet water goals.
September 17: The Times Leader reports on the local response and why bills remain in place.
September 23: WVIA explains why the executive order does not cancel local stormwater bills. Pennsylvania and local leaders still need a plan to pay for the required work.
A similar fight in Maryland
Maryland faced a debate over stormwater fees, too. In 2015, then-Governor Larry Hogan signed a law ending a state requirement that certain counties and Baltimore City collect a stormwater fee. The law did not end their water cleanup duties. They still had to show the state a reliable way to pay for the work, and local governments could choose to keep a fee. [M1][M2]
Pennsylvania has different laws and stormwater programs. Maryland’s experience shows that leaders can revisit a funding rule while keeping clean water work in place. Here, we are asking Pennsylvania to work with EPA and local leaders on a public plan to pay for the work with tax dollars already collected and end the separate rain tax bill.