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Marion County Utilities proposes staff additions, says no rate increase needed for FY26 but warns of 2027 pressure
Summary
Tony Cunningham, director of Marion County Utilities, presented a FY26 budget that increases roughly 5.8%, driven by personnel and operating cost pressures (electricity, chemicals, permitting) and proposed seven new positions; an independent analysis shows no base-rate increase is needed for FY26 but warns of possible pressure in FY27.
Utilities Director Tony Cunningham told commissioners the utilities enterprise budget for fiscal 2026 increases about 5.8% overall, driven roughly half by personnel adjustments (including 7 recommended full-time hires) and half by operating costs such as higher electricity bills, chemicals and consumptive-use permitting work.
Cunningham said the department is seeing upward pressure from Duke Energy's recently approved rate increases (about $500,000 of budget impact next year) and from more intensive permit work to renew the county's water-use permits. "We are attempting to get a…
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