Clouded Waters: The Chester Stormwater Controversy

Dive into the high-stakes drama playing out in Chester, Pennsylvania, where stormwater fees, city politics, and controversial power grabs collide. In this podcast, we pull back the curtain on the Stormwater Authority of the City of Chester (SAC)—an entity at the heart of a municipal storm swirling with secret board expansions, unapproved salaries, and dubious loans involving both church and state. Against the backdrop of Chester’s decades-long financial struggles and ongoing bankruptcy battles, you’ll meet the key players, follow the money, and discover how this unfolding legal saga could reshape how Pennsylvania’s towns manage—and monetize—their most basic resources. It’s a true story of local governance under pressure, where every decision threatens to send ripples far beyond city limits.

Sources for this podcast include:

• Chester Stormwater Authority website
• CIS website: City of Chester Community-based Partnership
• Chester Matters (12/15/24): Stormwater Authority of Chester looks bad in bankruptcy deposition
• WHYY (12/12/24): Chester’s stormwater chief has retired. His exit comes as agency faces scrutiny from state-appointed receiver
• WHYY (8/26/24): Chester receiver aims to monetize bankrupt city’s water assets
• WHYY (5/28/24): Unsanctioned pay and unauthorized board members: Chester receiver unloads more allegations at stormwater authority
• WHYY (5/10/24): Chester receiver demands stormwater authority’s financial records
• WHYY (4/29/24): Chester Mayor Stefan Roots accuses 2 City Council members of violating city charter and receiving 2 salaries
• The Philadelphia Inquirer (5/10/24): A ‘rain tax’ spurs a storm of controversy in the Philly region, and a court case with broad implications
• Chester Matters (12/13/21): Chester Stormwater Authority will take your house if you don’t pay soon
• WHYY (7/22/20): Facing fiscal peril, City of Chester is put into receivership

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Disclaimer:

This podcast's audio overviews are AI-generated (and the voices you hear are too), which may occasionally produce errors or audio glitches. Take everything with a grain of salt, although we review each episode for quality. Additionally, Muni Matters (currently) has no control over the tone, vocal inflections, 'emotions', or perceived biases of the AI hosts. For critical information, always consult official sources. The audio overviews are not a comprehensive or objective view of a topic, but simply a reflection of the sources we provide the AI. Audio Overviews are only in English at this moment.