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Council refers proposed water-rate increases to committee after debate over reserves and customer impact
Summary
The Board of Water Commissioners—arlier voted to raise the base quarterly charge and per-unit consumption rate; councilors questioned the need given large water-department reserves and referred the matter to government operations and ordinances for study.
The Laconia City Council on Monday voted to send discussion about proposed water-rate increases to the government operations and ordinances committee after a lengthy exchange between councilors, the water commission chair and city finance staff about reserves, ratepayer impact and authority to set rates.
The Board of Water Commissioners previously voted to change the base rate from $25.00 per quarter to $28.75 per quarter (a 15% increase) and to change the consumption charge from $2.55 to $2.81 per 100 cubic feet (a 10% increase). The rate change would go into effect for bills generated on or after Jan. 1, 2026, and reflect water used on or after Nov. 1, 2025. The water commission estimated roughly $350,000 in additional annual revenue…
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