Leslie staff present ordinance to raise sewer per-thousand rate, codify shutoff and fees

City staff held a public hearing on April 7 at 6 p.m. in Leslie to review a rate study by Arkansas Rural Water and a proposed ordinance that would raise sewer charges and codify customer-service policies required under Act 605.

City staff said the rate study found current water rates are sufficient but sewer revenues fall short. The ordinance proposed raising the monthly sewer base for the first 1,000 gallons from $20.25 to $24.50 and increasing the sewer per-thousand charge from $3.92 to $6.50. Staff told attendees the ordinance also ties future municipal increases to supplier increases by applying the supplier’s increase plus 2 percent to the city’s rates, and establishes an effective date for the new rates.

The ordinance text discussed at the hearing sets the water base for most customers at $41.61 with a per-thousand charge of $9.57 (business base shown as $43.50 in the materials). The measure also would require the city to place 5 percent of…