Trumbull County sets temporary $11.75 rate for county water districts, creates advisory panel and orders performance audit

The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners on March 26 approved a temporary countywide uniform water rate of $11.75 per 1,000 gallons for multiple Trumbull County Combined Water District subdivisions, set to take effect with monthly bills after April 1, 2025. The board also directed a state performance audit of the water department, created an advisory panel of customer representatives, and agreed to review the rate after one year.

The action was made under a motion presented during the meeting that directed the adjustment to reflect operation, maintenance and capital costs and to satisfy Ohio EPA requirements for a self-supporting utility. The motion said the $11.75 rate would apply to the Bozetta Champion, Braceville Township, Howland, Mineral Ridge, Mosquito Creek Southeast and Warren Township subdivisions starting in April 2025. Commissioners agreed the board would reassess the rate in April 2026 after the advisory panel and a performance audit review.

Why it matters: the county's water system has run deficits in recent years and county officials said the department needs a rate that covers costs to avoid service interruptions and comply with state regulators. Commissioners described multi-year losses and said the change is intended to stabilize finances while outside review and stakeholder oversight are implemented.

Board debate and key elements Commissioners debated the rate level and the review period. Some commissioners supported a one-year review window rather than the six months originally proposed, arguing six months would capture only summer usage and not a full fiscal picture. One commissioner said the department had been running a deficit "for 5 years" and warned the short-term losses could be substantial without action.

The motion includes three principal elements: - A temporary, uniform rate of $11.75 per 1,000 gallons to be applied beginning with monthly bills dated after April 1, 2025 for the listed subdivisions. - A formal request that the state perform a performance audit of the water department’s funds, operations and billing overseen by the Sanitary Engineers Department. - Creation of an advisory panel with one representative appointed by each entity that is a customer of the Trumbull County Water Department; the panel will meet quarterly, follow Ohio open-meetings requirements and provide quarterly input to the Board and the Sanitary Engineers Department.

Sanitary Engineers' remarks Bob Myron, who identified himself as the sanitary engineer's controller, told the board the office welcomed the performance audit and the advisory panel. He cautioned the board that placing a fixed one-year rate without assuring that rate will be used for future financial projections could affect the county’s ability to borrow for projects. "If I'm only gonna say we have revenue of $11.75 for 1 year and then it remits back to the original rate structure ... we'll show huge losses in year 2 going forward," Myron said, adding that $12 per 1,000 gallons was the sanitary office's preferred break-even point but that $11.75 was workable under the board's terms.

Operational context and finances Commissioners and staff described large shortfalls the sanitary district has experienced: speakers referenced the district having run deficits for several years, with figures discussed including "about $400,000 in the hole since the first quarter" and a potential $1.6 million projected deficit if no changes are made; one speaker said the district lost about $1.5 million last year. County staff also noted the sanitary district held roughly a half-million dollars in RIF (repair/impact/facility) funds that could be used toward emergent projects.

Vote and next steps The motion passed with all three commissioners voting "yes." After the vote, the board removed items 22 and 23 from the agenda as a procedural step tied to the motion's implementation. The board directed staff to: initiate the state performance audit request, assemble the advisory panel (one representative from each customer entity), and schedule the one-year review for April 2026; the board also retained authority to raise or lower the rate based on audit and panel recommendations.

What the board did not decide No immediate changes were ordered to the county's capital borrowing plan, nor did the board authorize any one-time county subsidy beyond use of existing sanitary funds. Commissioners and the sanitary controller emphasized that the $11.75 number is temporary and subject to adjustment after the audit and committee review.

Ending County staff and the sanitary engineers will begin outreach to customer entities to form the advisory panel and will request the performance audit from the appropriate state office. The board said it will revisit the rate in April 2026 and make any subsequent adjustments based on the audit and panel recommendations.