Queen Creek council opens process to raise wastewater capacity fees; public hearing set for Dec. 3

The Queen Creek Town Council voted 5-0 to begin the statutory process to increase wastewater capacity fees, setting a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 and a proposed effective date of Jan. 5, 2026.

The action launches a 60-day notice period required by state statute and follows a staff presentation explaining why the town needs additional capacity and how the fee calculation was updated. Deputy Town Manager and Chief Financial Officer Scott McCarty, Utilities Director Mark Skocific and consultant Kuda Wekwe of DTA Public Finance told the council the update is intended to fund a planned expansion of regional treatment capacity and other transmission infrastructure that growth will require.

"The agenda item for you tonight is the initiation of a process or the initiation of the process to increase our wastewater, capacity fees," Scott McCarty said during his presentation. He and staff emphasized the update is governed by state law that requires a 10-year planning horizon and that fees be "fair and reasonable" across land uses.

Why it matters

Town staff and the consultant said growth over the next 10 years will create new demand equivalent to about 14,600 single-family residential equivalents (ERUs), using an estimate of 168 gallons per ERU per day. That demand translates to roughly 2.5 million gallons per day of treatment capacity needed; the fee update covers a 2.0…