Committee backs 2026 sewer rate changes, adds new member community to county sanitary district

The Cuyahoga County Council Public Works Committee on an administrative voice vote approved updates to the county's 2026 water, storm and sanitary sewer maintenance and sewage treatment rates and accepted a substitute adding a new member community to the county sanitary district.

Melanie Say, a Department of Public Works representative, told the committee the legislation is the department's annual request to "fix the sewer maintenance rates" used to maintain, operate, rehabilitate and repair sanitary and sewage systems for member communities. Public Works' Sanitary Division currently serves 40 communities (33 full-service and seven direct-bill), Say said.

Committee members discussed several community-level reallocations and the county fund that supports the work before accepting a proposed substitute that adds the newly joining community, Brattonau, to the legislation. The committee then referred the bills for second-reading suspension so the additions and rate confirmations can be finalized before statutory deadlines.

Why it matters: The resolutions set per-front-foot maintenance and storm charges used to fund routine repairs and emergency work across the county's sanitary districts. Small per-front-foot changes compound across parcels and affect municipal billing and local budgets.

Key details: Melanie Say said the county fund that supports sanitary maintenance holds "over $24,000,000." She told the committee that last year's outlays were higher ("about 28 [million]") largely because of one-time equipment purchases such as Vactor trucks.

Specific reallocations presented by Public Works (units: dollars per front foot per year, as stated in committee discussion): - North Randall: sanitary fee increased from $0.75 to $1.25 per front foot; storm fee decreased from $1.75 to $1.25 per front foot. - Brooklyn: sanitary reallocation from $2.20 to $2.00 per front foot; storm fee reduced from $0.40 to $0.00 per front foot. - Beachwood: sanitary fee increased from $0.75 to $1.50 per front foot; storm fee reduced to $0.00 per front foot (prior amount in the transcript was inconsistent; committee discussion indicated a reduction to zero). - East Cleveland: sanitary fee changed to $0.00 per front foot and storm fee increased to $3.00 per front foot. - Brattonau (new member): sanitary $2.00 per front foot; storm $1.00 per front foot.

Committee action: The committee introduced and accepted a proposed substitute to include Brattonau in Resolution 20250236 ("Fixing the 2026 water, storm and sanitary sewer maintenance and sewage treatment rates") and then moved to accept the resolution in full. Because of statutory timing, staff and the committee requested second-reading suspension so the technical approvals and the addition of the new community can be finalized ahead of the Ohio Revised Code deadline. A companion item, Resolution 20250237 ("Approving and confirming the 2026 water storm and sanitary sewer maintenance and sewage treatment assessments"), was considered in parallel and the committee agreed to proceed with the same substitute and also requested second-reading suspension.

What was not decided: The committee did not alter the overall membership count beyond adding Brattonau, and exact municipal billing schedules for individual rate changes will be reflected in implementing documents and bills to member communities. The committee did not take a roll-call vote with a named tally in the transcript; votes were taken by voice and recorded as "ayes have it."

Next steps: Both resolutions were referred to the full council for second reading with suspension so the amendments and rate confirmations can be processed in time under Ohio Revised Code section 6117.02.