The Independence City Council on Oct. 6 adopted an updated sanitary sewer rate schedule (ordinance 25-082) with the first billed change scheduled for Nov. 1, 2025.

The ordinance allows annual adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index up to a 3% cap; any increase beyond the cap would require council approval. Staff and consultants told council the adjustment is intended to preserve funds for operations, rising material and labor costs, and capital projects needed to maintain the sanitary sewer system.

Deputy City Manager Lisa Reynolds and consultant representatives explained the last sewer-rate increase occurred July 1, 2020. Burns & McDonnell (consultant) described the existing utility revenue base at roughly $30 million and estimated the proposed incremental revenue in the first year would be about $3.1–$3.3 million across utility customers. Council members discussed the need to avoid postponing capital repairs—citing past federal enforcement actions that forced accelerated spending if deferred—and the benefit of smoothing rate changes to avoid sudden “rate shock.”

The ordinance passed 6-1, with Mayor Roland voting no. The council also noted that the ordinance includes language to treat private customers who are physically able to connect to the sewer but do not as paying the base rate without the volumetric charge; that is a technical change to how nonconnected customers are billed.

What happens next: the new rate schedule will be implemented beginning with bills dated Nov. 1, 2025. Staff said they may return to council for further actions if actual revenues exceed projections or if additional capital‑funding choices are needed.