City Manager Fearborn told the council that Raymore’s enterprise fund — which pays for water, sewer and solid‑waste services — will need modest rate increases for FY26 to cover rising wholesale charges from suppliers.

The nut graf — why this matters: rate changes in the enterprise fund directly affect monthly utility bills for Raymore customers and fund the maintenance and capital for water and sewer systems.

Key figures presented: the proposed blended water and sewer unit rate is $16.30 per 1,000 gallons for FY26, reflecting a water charge increase from $6.62 to $6.68 per 1,000 gallons and a sewer charge increase from $9.32 to $9.42 per 1,000 gallons. Fearborn said the city’s primary water supplier, Kansas City (KCMO), has already indicated a roughly 6 percent wholesale water rate increase budgeted into the proposal; Little Blue Valley Sewer District processing charges were budgeted at $1,774,854 and Mill Big Creek at $1,217,748 for FY26. Total water and sewer commodity expenditures the city budgeted equal $6,068,713; total departmental expenditures in water and sewer are budgeted at $9,779,511.

Fearborn noted the enterprise fund remains a cost‑of‑service fund and described planned transfers: $1,486,315 from the enterprise fund to the general fund for administrative costs and a $750,000 transfer to the enterprise capital maintenance fund for infrastructure repairs. He also described ongoing capital projects such as the Owen Goode sewer main replacement (phase 2), which will be split between the sewer connection fee fund and the enterprise capital maintenance fund, with a combined project cost of $1,358,005 (approximately $679,248 from each fund) because the project requires boring under Hubock Hill Road.

Ending: the council was briefed on the proposed rate adjustments and infrastructure projects; changes to sewer use charges will require a public hearing at a future council meeting, and staff said they would present the fee schedule for final approval.