Walter Liana, senior civil engineer for LA County Public Works, told the Cudahy City Council on June 3 that the consolidated sewer maintenance district is proposing a phased rate increase for sewer service charges to address rising operating and maintenance costs.

Liana said the consolidated district has not increased rates since 2014 and has been operating with constrained revenues while costs for labor and materials have risen. “So we’re proposing to increase that by about $14 per year for 3 consecutive years,” Liana said, adding that rates would then rise by inflation for two subsequent years. He said the proposal would raise a typical single-family residence’s annual charge from about $50 today to roughly $96 after the full five-year schedule.

The nut graf: the district cites aging infrastructure, higher labor and construction costs and a multi-year revenue shortfall as the reasons for the proposed increase; the process must comply with Proposition 218’s property-related fee rules, including mailed notices and the right to protest.

Key details: the district serves roughly 500,000 parcels and maintains main sewer collection lines; in Cudahy specifically the district said there are about 1,700 parcels representing just over 6,000 sewer units. Liana described the district’s core services — preventive maintenance, CCTV condition assessments (about 500 miles inspected annually), 24-hour emergency response — and said about 88% of the city’s sewer lines are in good condition with a smaller share identified for future repair. Liana estimated it would cost roughly $150,000 to address the city’s remaining identified repairs.

Public engagement and next steps: the district has completed a rate study, commenced Proposition 218 outreach in March, mailed Prop 218 notices in May and scheduled a county public hearing for June 24. Liana said notices include protest instructions and dates for open houses, webinars and a county hearing. At the Cudahy meeting, staff and council encouraged residents and city employees to file service requests when they observe standing water or other issues.

Public comment at the Cudahy meeting included supportive remarks that rising costs are unavoidable and questions about regional competition for staff; one commenter from Southgate said vacancies and pay competition are a constraint on municipalities’ abilities to deliver services.

Ending: the presentation was informational; no local vote on rates occurred at the Cudahy meeting. The county will proceed with Proposition 218 outreach and a public hearing process that could lead to a formal county action expected to take effect in July 2025 if approved and if protests do not exceed thresholds.