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Leon Valley council approves water-rate hike, agrees to revisit in two years
Summary
The City Council voted 3-2 on May 6 to adopt an ordinance increasing Leon Valley water and sewer rates and revising tier structures, with councilors saying the funds are needed to repair aging water and sewer infrastructure. The council set a two-year review to reassess rates after new development and grant opportunities are better understood.
The Leon Valley City Council on May 6 approved an ordinance to raise water and sewer rates and revise usage tiers, citing aging pipes and sewer failures that staff says require capital investment.
Council members said the increases are intended to fund a multi-year infrastructure program; the ordinance passed on a 3-2 vote with a commitment to revisit the rate changes in two years.
Public works staff and city leaders told council members that many elements of the city’s water and sewer system are decades old, with visible evidence of leaks and raw sewage entering the ground. City staff presented a prioritized list of water and sewer projects and said the original plan contemplated borrowing up to $10 million to address the most urgent work, though staff said the amount could be reduced if council prefers.
Council discussion centered on fairness to customers served by the city’s utility system compared with customers served by the San Antonio Water System, and on past uses of the city’s water fund. Councilor Benny Martinez, who made the motion to adopt the ordinance, said residents on Leon Valley water are already paying substantially more than neighbors on SAWS and expressed concern about past transfers from the water fund; Martinez said he wanted transparency and a firm two-year reassessment timeline. Public works staff and the city manager said the city has limited options short of borrowing or cutting other services, and that planned borrowing levels could be reduced if council chooses.
The ordinance is an amendment to the Leon Valley Code of Ordinances Appendix A Fee Schedule, Article A.11 Water and Sewer Rates (second read and adoption). The council directed staff to re-evaluate rates after two years and to pursue grants where possible to mitigate costs.
Outcome: The motion to approve the ordinance was made by Councilor Benny Martinez and seconded by Councilor Roscoe; the roll call recorded at the meeting showed Councilor Roscoe voting "yes," Councilor Bradshaw voting "no," and the mayor casting a tie-break ("yes"); the motion passed 3-2. Council stipulated a two-year review of the rate structure.
What happens next: Staff will proceed with the adopted rate structure and include the two-year review on the council’s calendar; staff said it will also continue to pursue grant funding and can scale borrowing to reduce immediate rate pressure.
