County sewer district tells Maywood residents fees would rise after 11-year freeze; Prop 218 notices planned

Officials from the Los Angeles County Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District told the Maywood City Council on April 23 that they recommend raising the district’s civil-service charge after more than a decade without adjustments.

Assistant Director Andrew, speaking to the council as part of an informational presentation, said the district has not raised collection rates in 11 years and that rising labor, materials and construction costs have driven expenditures higher. "We haven't raised our rates in the last 11 years," Andrew told the council, adding that the district expects to draw reserves to the point of a negative fund balance by the end of the next fiscal year without rate increases.

The presentation said the district maintains about 4,600 miles of sewer mains across its service area; Maywood’s local system includes about 3,400 parcels and approximately 8,300 sewage units, roughly 20,000 feet of local sewer main and about 420 manholes. Currently the district's collection charge is $50 per sewage unit per year. The district's consultant recommended increasing that charge by $14 per sewage unit per year for three consecutive years, then adjusting by inflation for two additional years — a five-year change that would bring a single-family residence’s annual collection charge to about $96.

Andrew told the council that about 90–95% of district spending goes back into preventive maintenance, condition assessments and repairs, with smaller shares for emergency response and administration. He said the district has begun outreach to member cities and community groups and will mail Proposition 218 notices to affected property owners in May. The notices will include instructions on how to file written protests and how to appear at a public hearing scheduled for June 24 before the County Board of Supervisors. If the increases are approved in the absence of a majority protest, the rates would appear on the 2025–26 property tax roll and take effect in July 2025.

Councilmembers asked whether increased revenue could fund nature-based or green infrastructure projects; Andrew said the district is primarily set up for operations and maintenance and that cities retain ownership of their infrastructure, but added the question would be a consideration as the agencies coordinate.

No formal action was taken by the Maywood City Council during the presentation. Staff and the district emphasized bilingual outreach materials and multiple public events and webinars to explain the proposal to residents.