Nogales council approves first reading of water-rate ordinance, removes secondary fee for certain mobile-home communities

The Nogales City Council on Aug. 13 approved on first reading Ordinance O2025-08-005, a revision to the city code that reclassifies some trailer parks as "mobile home residential" and removes a secondary water-service fee for similarly situated parks, city officials said. The ordinance will return for a second reading at the council's next regular meeting after one member opposed the first-reading vote.

The ordinance amends Nogales City Code (Charter 19, Utilities Article 2, Water Service Division 4, Water Rates and Charges, Section 19-81) to adjust categories of water-service users and to repeal conflicting provisions. "We move to ordinance, number 1, consideration and possible action on ordinance O2025-08-005," the mayor said when introducing the item.

A staff member advising council said the change includes reclassifying "trailer parks to mobile home, residential" and that the removal of the secondary fee stems from a settlement with Mariposa Manor. "It applies to other similarly situated parks," the staff member said, adding that the city could not remove the fee for only one property without extending the change to other parks in similar circumstances.

Councilman Doyle asked who would "pick up that secondary fee." A staff member replied, "It just — who absorbs that fee? It doesn't get charged. So if it's $10,000, then that's $10,000 in revenue that doesn't get charged." The staff member said the city removed the fee to resolve litigation with Mariposa Manor rather than continue to incur higher legal costs and potential judgments.

Officials said the fiscal impact is small. The staff member said finance was running a report but estimated the total across affected parks would be "thousands, you know, less than 10 or $15,000" and that there are only "4 or 5" other parks similarly situated. The same staff member later said the city has a total of "6 or 7" parks served by city water.

Staff and council described the change as part of an effort to clarify billing and move toward more complete metering. "With the new lines and all that, Mariposa Manor was going into individual trailer meters with all the reconnections," the mayor said. A staff member said the city's longer-term plan is to identify and assign meters throughout the city so fees are tied to specific uses rather than ad hoc secondary charges.

Council members voted on the first reading; the mayor called for the question and members answered "Aye" with at least one "Nay". Because the vote was not unanimous, the mayor said the ordinance will return for a second reading at the next meeting.

The ordinance text, as read at the meeting, cites multiple standard provisions including severability and an effective date; the council did not adopt the ordinance on final reading during the Aug. 13 session.

The change affects billing categories for properties served by city water and will apply to parks that the council determines are "similarly situated" to Mariposa Manor. Finance staff will produce a report with the exact list of affected properties and the precise revenue impact before the second reading.