Utilities committee refers certified sewer user fee increase to full council after heated debate

The Crowley utilities committee on an October meeting accepted the city clerk’s certification of sewer user fee adjustments and voted to refer the certified rate change to the full Crowley City Council for consideration at the Oct. 21 meeting.

The referral follows a long, at-times contentious discussion in which council members and the public asked how the proposed increases would affect households on fixed incomes and whether sewer charges should be tied to actual water usage. Committee members and staff presented figures during the meeting: the published example in the packet showed the in‑city base sewer rate rising from $17 to $24 (for the first 2,000 gallons) and the in‑city consumption rate moving from about $4.00 to $7.50 per unit; out‑of‑city base and consumption figures given in the packet were shown as rising from $22 to $30 and $8.25 to $10.00, respectively.

Why it matters: sewer user fees pay for operation of the wastewater system. A committee member said the change follows a certification from the city clerk and, if adopted by the council, would increase monthly bills for many households. Several committee members said constituents had contacted them with concerns about affordability.

City Attorney Michael Landry told the committee that the authority for charging a sewer user fee rests in local ordinance and referenced state law requirements for how the city issues public notice and otherwise implements fee changes. "There are ordinances that provide for those fees," Landry said during discussion, adding that the ordinances exist to generate revenue needed to operate the sewer plant.

Alderman Vernon Martin pressed on equity concerns, questioning whether a household that was not using any water in a billing period should still pay a flat sewer fee. Martin said many constituents expected the council to hold broader public outreach before adopting a change. Committee members and staff responded that regular practice includes a flat base component in the city rate structure and that state law and the city’s ordinances set the framework for how rates are adjusted and collected.

The committee vote moved the certified adjustment to the full council for a final vote on Oct. 21. The referral preserves the clerical certification and allows the full council to consider the certified rates and any public comment. The full council meeting agenda was set by the clerk for Oct. 21; the committee did not adopt alternate wording or specific exemptions at the meeting.

Clarifying details: the packet shown to the committee listed the in‑city base charge rising from $17 to $24 for the first 2,000 gallons; the in‑city consumption charge listed increased from about $4.00 to $7.50 per unit; out‑of‑city base and consumption examples were shown as $22→$30 and $8.25→$10.00. Committee discussion recorded that the last rate change had occurred in 2021.

The full council will take up the certified rate on Oct. 21; the utilities committee recommended referral rather than final adoption so the body with final authority can consider public comment and the clerk’s certification.