Meridian weighs $144.5 million water‑sewer capital plan and three rate options, no vote taken

Meridian — City consultants told the Meridian City Council on June 3 that the city must raise more revenue to pay for a $144,500,000 water and sewer capital improvement plan tied largely to regulatory requirements and a consent decree, and presented three financing scenarios for council guidance. Piper Brandt of Raftelis said the options were “things for the council to think about and we’re gonna need to take some action in the coming months, but there’s no action that’s gonna need to be taken today.”

Why it matters: the projects are intended to reduce sanitary sewer overflows, meet evolving EPA treatment standards and maintain safe drinking water and wastewater treatment. Brandt said the planned capital program would require multiple bond issues and substantially higher annual debt service beginning in fiscal 2026, and that Meridian must set rates to generate the revenue to cover operating costs, existing debt service (about $4.6 million now) and the new debt service for the CIP.

Raftelis outlined three scenarios: (1A) implement immediately a capital‑recovery fee (meter‑based) and reduce annual general rate…