Saint Charles council approves water rate increase to shore up system funding

The Village of Saint Charles Village Council voted 6–1 to approve a resolution to raise water rates by $10 per quarter — $40 annually — with the change set to take effect in May (effective date not specified in the meeting record).

Council members said the increase is intended to stabilize the village water fund and provide local match and cash-on-hand for planned improvements, including ongoing phase 1 work and an upcoming phase 2 project supported by a federal grant. Village officials said sewer rates will not change because the sewer fund is in a sustainable position.

Why it matters: council members and staff described a history of many years without rate increases while costs rose, leaving the village with limited reserves to pay for repairs, service-line replacements and pump-station work. During discussion, staff presented projections and recommended a phased approach aimed at spreading the cost over time to reduce the short-term burden on residents.

Council debate and context: council members and staff discussed alternatives including a larger, one-time increase versus phased quarterly increases. Staff reported that “ready-to-serve” revenue brings roughly $75,000 per quarter into the water fund but leaves limited discretionary money for capital work. Councilmembers said the village has deferred rate increases for more than a decade while neighboring jurisdictions raised theirs annually, and now the village must catch up to finance long-term work.

Planned and funded projects: council and staff said phase 1 work remains under payment for about 18 more years, phase 2 is supported in part by a federal grant (staff described it as a roughly $1,000,000 federal grant), and future priorities include pump stations and targeted main and service-line replacements. Staff said changes would give residents roughly four months’ notice before the rate appears on bills.

Public comment: a resident asked during public comment whether the rate increase was “absolutely necessary.” Council and staff pointed to the third‑party study and the fund projections discussed at the meeting when answering that question.

What the vote was: Paul Jandripski voted no; Jamie Kendall, Michael Nesbitt, Edgar Titoff, Cathy Harris, Darcy McSwain and Jennifer Rosser Nesbitt voted yes. The resolution passed.

What’s next: the council approved the resolution and staff will implement the new rates on the timetable discussed and continue to present multi‑year projections and project priorities to council.