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City manager says depleted water fund made rate increases unavoidable; officials outline average household impact
Summary
City Manager Dan Creighton told the Long Beach City Council the water fund balance fell from about $1.9 million in 2021 to $355,000, leaving a $1.2 million operating shortfall that prompted recent water and sewer rate increases; officials and residents reacted during the Oct. 21 council meeting.
City Manager Dan Creighton told the City of Long Beach Council on Oct. 21 that the city's water fund balance fell steeply in recent years, leaving the department unable to cover operating and capital costs without raising rates. "The water fund balance was decimated from a high in 2021 of almost 1,900,000 to a paltry $355,000," Creighton said, adding the department had been operating on a roughly $1,200,000 deficit.
Creighton said water and sewer bills are combined and billed quarterly based on individual meter readings, and stressed that water and sewer funds may only be used for their respective operations. He described rising personnel and pension costs, chemical costs for treatment,…
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