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Moroni council adopts tentative 2025–26 budget; proposes utility rate increases
Summary
The Moroni City Council approved a tentative 2025–26 budget and reviewed proposed increases to water, sewer, irrigation and other fees to shore up reserves and cover rising operating and capital costs.
The Moroni City Council adopted a tentative budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year after a presentation and public hearing on May 15.
City financial advisor Gary (last name not specified in minutes) presented the tentative budget and a package of proposed utility and service-rate increases designed to replenish reserves and cover operating costs, debt service and capital needs. The council opened a public hearing and received no formal objections before approving the tentative budget.
Why it matters: council members said the increases are intended to avoid sudden, large midyear hikes if outside costs (notably county police contract increases and fuel) rise. The council discussed specific fee proposals, including a $2 monthly increase to the residential water base rate (projected to generate about $13,000 annually), a $2 increase to the sewer base rate (also projected to generate about $13,000), and a $2.50 increase to the irrigation base from $32.50 to $35 (projected to generate about $14,000). The draft also proposes a $0.50 increase to the city fire fee, raising it to $2 and generating roughly $3,400, and a park fee increase from $3 to $5 (about $13,000 projected). Council and staff repeatedly framed the changes as incremental steps to build reserves for known upcoming costs, including debt payments and planned infrastructure work.
The budget presentation included a detailed discussion of bulk water rates. Staff acknowledged inconsistencies in the draft rate sheet: bulk rates appeared incorrectly listed in places but the underlying rate schedule the city uses for billing lists a bulk rate of $15 per 1,000 gallons. Council members asked staff to reconcile the documents and to come back next month with clear historical revenue numbers for bulk sales before finalizing changes.
Other items raised during the hearing included capital and maintenance priorities the council may fund from the tentative-surplus estimate of roughly $177,000, including cemetery irrigation repairs, replacement of a city generator control panel, ballfield restroom and roof repairs, and park maintenance. Council members directed staff to obtain contractor estimates for park restroom roof work and to return with firm numbers for potential budget changes at next month's meeting.
Action taken: council opened a public hearing on the tentative 2025–26 budget and then approved the tentative budget at the May 15 meeting. The budget remains tentative until the council adopts a final budget in June.
Looking ahead: staff will return with corrected rate tables, historical bulk-water revenue figures, and bids/estimates for the cemetery sprinkler work and ballfield repairs ahead of the June meeting when the final budget is scheduled for adoption.
