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Broomfield mayor says water base rate raised; city launches utility assistance program
Summary
Mayor Gaylene Castriada told residents the city raised the water base rate after a forensic review found the utility was underfunded and said a new utility assistance program is available for households that qualify.
Mayor Gaylene Castriada said the City and County of Broomfield has raised the base rate on residential water bills and launched a utility assistance program to help households that are struggling with higher charges.
Castriada, speaking at the State of the City and County event, said a forensic analysis of the water and sewer enterprise showed prior rates were insufficient to maintain solvency and fund planned capital projects. "The base rate on your water bill has gone up, typically about $40 a month," Castriada said.
Why it matters: Broomfield's water and sewer operations are enterprise funds that must be supported by user fees rather than the general fund, the mayor said. Castriada told residents the rate change was needed to support future water storage and wastewater treatment projects and to ensure the utility can access financing for anticipated infrastructure work.
Castriada described the sequence that led to the increase: staff identified insufficient reserves and a tiered rate structure implemented the prior year that still did not produce adequate revenue. "Water funds are an enterprise. So they can only be funded through your use fees," she said.
On affordability, Castriada said the city has created a utility assistance program, available online beginning Jan. 1, for households around the local median income threshold. "So you can apply for utility rate assistance through our website. And that started January 1," she said. The mayor said staff will provide sprinkler system evaluations, water-wise recommendations and other assistance to reduce consumption.
A resident who asked about a specific bill spoke during the event; a resident asked, "Why is my water double, and it's saying 5,000 versus 4,000 gallons from last year, which is not correct." Castriada responded directly to the concern and explained the base rate and the forensic review findings.
What the transcript does not specify: exact qualifying criteria for the assistance program beyond the reference to median income brackets, the total number of households expected to receive assistance, or the long-term schedule for additional rate adjustments. The mayor said the city is now comparable to other cities on water rates but did not specify comparative cities by name.
The city manager and staff were present and available for follow-up conversations, the mayor said.
Ending note: Residents seeking help or questioning their bills were directed to the city website for the utility assistance application and to staff for free sprinkler evaluations.
