Commissioners move to advertise ordinance to sunset Barefoot Bay Water & Sewer District after public outcry over high rates

Brevard County commissioners on July 7 voted unanimously to advertise an ordinance that would set a formal sunset date of Dec. 31, 2029, for the Barefoot Bay Water & Sewer District, the dependent district created when the county assumed ownership of the system decades ago.

The decision followed extended public comment from Barefoot Bay residents who said their base wastewater rate is substantially higher than the rest of unincorporated Brevard County and urged the board to move faster than the debt retirement schedule. One resident told commissioners, "The base wastewater rate for approximately 5,000 Barefoot Bay customers is currently $54.28" and described the financial strain on fixed-income households.

County staff explained the legal and financial constraints that shaped the proposal: the district's outstanding revenue bonds must be serviced from revenues generated within the district and bond covenants limit the county's ability to reallocate outside revenue to pay that debt. Staff said approximately $4,500,000 remained on the bond and presented a path that would roll back rates to 2025 levels and freeze them during the sunset period to limit future increases.

After hearing residents' pleas and technical briefings from staff and counsel about bond covenants, commissioners approved legislative intent to advertise the ordinance to dissolve the dependent district when debt service is satisfied and to prepare a rate resolution to provide near-term relief where feasible. Staff was directed to prepare an ordinance and a rate-resolution proposal to present at a future public hearing.

Residents praised the board for moving the process forward but several requested an earlier timetable; staff and legal advisers reiterated that bond covenants and revenue requirements constrain how much immediate relief can be offered without violating financing terms.