Avondale council adopts tentative FY 2026 budget; approves water, sewer and solid-waste rate increases

Avondale City Council on May 5 adopted the tentative fiscal year 2026 budget and approved increases to water, sewer and solid-waste rates after a public hearing and staff presentations on rising costs and infrastructure needs.

The tentative budget, presented by Renee, finance director and budget director, sets the city's maximum expenditure limit for FY 2026 and preserves the council's ability to make adjustments before final adoption. At the same meeting the council held a statutorily required public hearing on proposed utility rate changes and then voted to adopt resolutions updating water and sewer rates and the solid-waste fee schedule.

The tentative budget matters because it establishes the spending ceiling the city will use to prepare the final budget and signals planned investments in projects such as a fire training tower and technology changes flagged by staff. Renee told the council the tentative budget reflects several adjustments since the city manager's recommended version, including final compensation-study figures and a $961,000 increase for the fire training tower project.

On utilities, staff recommended and the council approved a two-year schedule of increases. For water, FY 2026 rates will include a 6.7% increase to base and tier charges plus a 7.5% water treatment fee and a 6.2% water resource fee on the total bill; FY 2027 would include an additional 6.1% water rate increase with no change to the treatment or resource fees. Sewer rates will rise 2% in FY 2026 and 2% in FY 2027. Solid-waste fees will increase by a flat $1.60 for one trash bin and one recycle bin on July 1, 2025, and by $1.75 on July 1, 2026.

Renee provided an example of the bill impact for an average Avondale residential customer using 9,000 gallons of water and 8,000 gallons of sewer with one trash and one recycle bin: a current monthly bill of $105.80 would increase by $9.33 on Jan. 1, 2026, and by another $5.09 on Jan. 1, 2027, under the adopted schedule.

The council heard one public commenter on rates, Natasha Edmonds, who urged the council to delay the increases or stretch them over four years and to consider assistance or rebates for seniors, low-income families and residents on fixed incomes. Edmonds told the council, “I urge you to consider extending the implementation over 4 years instead of 2. This approach would ease the immediate impact on our residents.”

Council discussion reflected differing views on timing and necessity. Council member Garcia said she would vote no, citing the burden on lower-income residents: “Me as a single mom who makes minimum wage, I understand the difficulties that $10 can be for a mother, and her utilities being raised.” Mayor Pineda and other council members said the city had already pursued operational efficiencies—such as route changes in solid waste and investments to treat PFAS closer to the source—and that delaying increases would risk higher costs later or underfunded infrastructure.

The council adopted the tentative budget by motion and then approved the rate resolutions after the public hearing. The tentative budget will return for a public hearing and final adoption on June 2; the council is scheduled to adopt the property-tax levy on June 16. The solid-waste fee increase takes effect July 1, 2025; the first water and sewer increases will take effect Jan. 1, 2026, with the second-year increases following in 2026–27.

Resolutions referenced during the meeting include resolution 1021-0525 (tentative budget), resolution 10220-0525 (water and sewer rates) and resolution 1023-0523 (solid-waste fee schedule).