Highland Park council hears hours of public comment and consultant analysis on proposed water, sewer and stormwater rates

Highland Park — The City Council opened a public hearing May 5 on the proposed Water Department budget and rates for fiscal years 2025–26, hearing extended public comment and a presentation from an independent rate consultant that urged short‑term increases to stabilize utility finances while forecasting larger reductions after planned metering and infrastructure work.

The hearing drew more than a dozen speakers and a detailed presentation from Mark Bocia, independent rate consultant with Utility Financial Solutions LLC. Bocia told the council the city’s financial projections assume inflation of roughly 3% per year, and that the near‑term plan would include a 5% water increase in 2026 and a series of smaller increases thereafter. "Next year, we're projecting that the water will decrease by 19% and sewer by 10%," Bocia said, adding that the decreases depend on improved metering and capital work.

The consultant and multiple public speakers emphasized two structural drivers of Highland Park's higher bills: an aging distribution system with water loss and the city’s combined sewer system, which routes stormwater into the wastewater treatment stream. Bocia said the city’s infrastructure is older than the U.S. average and recommended boosting cash reserves to protect against unexpected failures: "We want you…