Kingsburg council adopts Prop 218 water rate plan to cover operations, SGMA costs

Kingsburg — The Kingsburg City Council voted to adopt a multi‑year water rate plan following a Prop 218 public hearing on May 21, 2025, approving Resolution 2025‑31 to implement the proposed rates effective July 1, 2025. City staff said the changes are intended to eliminate an operating deficit, fund planned infrastructure and ensure compliance with groundwater sustainability rules.

Public Works Director Daniel Galvez and consultant Allison Lejovich presented the Prop 218 rate study, a five‑year financial plan that staff said identifies roughly $3.9 million in capital needs for pipes, pumps, wells and treatment systems and forecasts rising operating and regulatory costs tied to the city’s groundwater obligations. Galvez said notices went to 4,194 accounts and the city received 218 written protest ballots, short of the 50%+1 threshold required to block the proposal under Prop 218; the City Clerk announced that the count did not constitute a majority protest.

Why it matters: City staff and consultants said the rate change is needed so the water utility is “self‑supporting” and can pay ongoing operations, maintenance and compliance costs without using general‑fund dollars. The plan shifts Kingsburg from a single base fee that included the first 11,000 gallons to a meter‑sized base fee plus…