County shifts utility rate/connection-fee timeline; public hearings moved to winter 2025–26

Charlotte County fiscal staff presented a revised timeline for utility rate and connection-fee work during the June 24 meeting and the board offered no objection to the new dates. Rick Arthur, Fiscal Services, said staff and consultant Raftelis moved milestones back three months to allow more time for analysis and to avoid losing the October 1 index used for utility adjustments.

Under the updated timeline staff outlined at the meeting, connection-fee work is scheduled for additional discussion in October, public hearings would be set for December, and any approved adjustments would take effect March 1, 2026. Arthur noted the board could optionally take the October 1 Florida Public Service Commission index adjustment at the July meeting if the board wanted to preserve that particular indexing date; otherwise, the indexing would be handled to avoid losing the indexing effect from Oct. 1 to March 1.

Commissioners asked whether a rate change effective Jan. 1 could still be processed in time; staff said the notice and billing-cycle requirements make a Jan. 1 effective date difficult and the March 1, 2026 date was the realistic target under the revised timeline.

What happens next: staff will return in October with more detail on connection fees and a proposed public hearing schedule for December. The board asked staff to evaluate whether a single-item request (for example a July decision on the index) could be accelerated if commissioners wish to do a partial adjustment sooner.