Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities Water Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council restarts water-rate process; sets July public hearing on proposed 15% increase
Summary
Following an administrative notice error, the council approved a 60‑day notice of intention and set a final public hearing for July 16 at 6:30 p.m. on a proposed 15% water-rate increase. Staff presented projected customer impacts and outreach results.
Queen Creek officials restarted the town’s open process on a proposed 15% water-rate increase and set a public hearing for July 16, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
Scott McCarty, the town’s chief financial officer, told the council an administrative error in publishing the earlier notice required restarting the statutory notice period. He said the proposed 15% across-the-board rate increase is projected to generate about $14.3 million in additional annual revenue across all customer classes and that approximately 40,000 single-family accounts would produce a large share of that revenue. McCarty presented a tiered impact estimate for single-family customers—roughly $3 to $6 per month on average depending on season and use—and said total billed water revenue is about $33 million annually.
McCarty described the revised schedule: staff will publish required legal notices, hold the second and final public hearing on July 16 at 6:30 p.m., and—if adopted—apply the new rates to bills issued October 7 and after. The restart shifts the schedule by roughly two billing cycles, pushing the effective date later in the year.
Constance Hallinan Wilson, communications and marketing manager, summarized outreach to date: a dedicated landing page with roughly 3,000 views, five online feedback forms, a social media video with about 14,000 views, and emails to customers with an 80% open rate. Staff said they will do another outreach wave before the July hearing, add inserts to the town newsletter and bills, and meet with groups that have limited online access.
Town counsel reminded the council to include the hearing time in the motion; the final motion to approve the 60‑day notice of intention and set the July 16, 2025 public hearing at 6:30 p.m. was moved by Councilmember Michael Benning, seconded by Vice Mayor Martineau, and passed unanimously.
Council members and staff emphasized that the additional hearing provides another opportunity for public comment and gives residents more time to review bill impacts before an effective date is set.
