Stanton council adopts five-year sewer-rate increase after public hearing; no majority protest

The Stanton City Council voted 4-1 on June 10 to adopt higher annual sewer service charges that city staff and consultants say are needed to pay near‑term capital repairs and keep the sewer enterprise fund solvent.

Michelle Banigan, the city’s finance director, presented the proposal and said notices were mailed in English, Vietnamese and Spanish and that the rate study began with an initial presentation in March. Chris Fisher of Willdan Financial Services detailed the financial analysis supporting the change and recommended a multi‑year schedule of increases.

Fisher said the current annual charge for a single‑family equivalent unit is $72.25 and that the proposed change would raise that to $87.42 in the first year — “a little over $15 on an annual basis” — with further scheduled increases in subsequent years. He told the council the study projects roughly $10.5 million in sewer capital projects over five years, mostly pipeline replacements and aging component work, and that without higher rates the utility’s fund balance would be exhausted by the fourth year under a “do‑nothing” scenario.

The consultant and staff described the technical and procedural constraints of setting utility rates under Proposition 218 (Article XIII D, section 6 of the California Constitution), and Fisher said the study’s cost‑of‑service approach was reviewed with the city’s Prop 218 specialist and found defensible.

During public comment, residents raised affordability concerns. “I am on a fixed income,” said Martha Zuniga, a Stanton resident of 42 years, noting she will receive the new charge on her property tax bill in November. Another resident, Steven Berger, asked why the city had not made more incremental investments, calling the five‑year increase “almost tripling” sewer costs in some scenarios.

Council members then closed the hearing, the clerk reported the tabulation of written protests and the council proceeded to a roll‑call vote. The clerk reported receiving five written protests; the council also heard statements from staff that notices had been mailed to properties in the city. The clerk later reported there are 6,884 parcels subject to the sewer fees and that a majority protest would require protests on at least 3,511 parcels; with five protests, a majority protest did not exist.

After deliberation, Mayor Schauber moved and Council member Taylor seconded a resolution adopting the rates. The vote was 4 in favor, 1 opposed (Council member Barrios), and the council passed the resolution. Staff said, if adopted, the rates would be submitted to Orange County for inclusion in the 2025‑26 property tax levy and could become effective for the upcoming fiscal year; staff also noted an administrative deadline of Aug. 10 related to the property tax process.

Staff and the consultant emphasized that the revenue from the rate change will be restricted to the sewer maintenance enterprise fund and used for operations, reserves and capital projects described in the study. The consultant showed the “smoothed” five‑year schedule that spreads increases across years so annual increases are roughly $12 to $15 for most years, with a larger increase in the final year of the five‑year schedule.

Council members and staff encouraged residents with affordability concerns to review the rate study and to contact the city for additional information. The council’s action permits the city to move the new charges forward absent a majority written protest; the clerk reiterated there were five written protests and no majority protest was found.

Looking ahead, the consultant and staff said the adopted schedule is intended to preserve operating reserves and fund the capital projects listed in the sewer master plan over the five‑year period.