Green Springs mayor asks Clyde to consider rate freeze as sewer, water costs rise

Mayor Derek Garemon of the Village of Green Springs told the Clyde City Council on April 29 that a recent water and sewer finance review shows Green Springs faces substantial shortfalls and likely large near-term sewer rate increases unless adjustments are made.

Garemon said the village’s consultant recommended a 3.5% annual increase to water rates for five years and a 20% increase to sewer rates in 2025 and 2026 followed by smaller increases thereafter to restore positive operating balances. “I don't want a free handout from you guys, but I do want things to be a little bit fair,” Garemon said, asking Clyde to consider options including a rate freeze for Green Springs customers, a separate bulk-rate class, or—less favored—a full takeover of Green Springs’s system by Clyde.

The request matters because Green Springs sends treated water and sewage to Clyde for processing under a long-standing service arrangement. John Montgomery, Clyde’s environmental services superintendent, detailed Clyde’s operational responsibilities: “We take care of everything over to the master meter inside their building. Everything prior to it getting into their building is our responsibility.” Montgomery and Clyde staff said that responsibility includes the water and sewer mains up to Green Springs’ master meter, the…