Council sets Dec. 15 public hearing on utility rate changes including stormwater fee

Goodyear City Council on Sept. 22 adopted a notice of intent — the first formal step required by state statute — to set a public hearing on Dec. 15 for proposed utility rate changes covering water, wastewater, solid waste and a newly proposed stormwater fee.

Jared Askelson, the city's finance director, said the Citizens Water Advisory Committee recommended the plan and the package includes an overall rate increase of 7.3%; the proposed stormwater fee would be enacted as part of the same rate plan. He said notices will be posted online and mailed on customer bills ahead of the December hearing. "This notice of intent is required by state statute," Askelson told council.

Council approved a motion to adopt the notice and set the Dec. 15 public hearing; no rate increases were adopted that night. If council moves forward after the hearing, the implementation timeline will span January and February billing cycles due to multiple billing schedules.

Council member Terry asked staff to include benchmarking data from similar regional cities at the council retreat so elected officials and residents can compare Goodyear’s proposed rates to peer cities. Staff said a more detailed discussion of water, wastewater, solid waste and stormwater will occur at the council retreat and that the formal public hearing and final decision are scheduled for Dec. 15.