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Essex Junction council approves small increase in large-volume water user rate after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing, the Essex Junction City Council approved a slight rise in the FY26 large-volume water user rate — affecting GlobalFoundries, the city’s sole large user — citing increased wholesale and state fees and the reallocation of public works labor costs.
Essex Junction City Council voted Wednesday to set the fiscal 2026 large-volume water user rate at just under $0.17 per 1,000 gallons, a roughly one-cent increase over the current fiscal year, following a public hearing and staff presentation.
The increase stems from the city’s FY26 water fund budget, which totals just over $1,900,000 — about a $155,000 (8.5%) rise from the prior year — driven primarily by a roughly 5% uptick in the Champlain Water District wholesale charge, a projected 13.5% increase in the state fee assessed on water, a 32.5% rise in allocated salaries and benefits and a $50,000 increase in the contribution to the water capital reserve. City staff said the rate-setting process and the formula used are defined in the city’s large-volume water user rate-setting…
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