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Sylvania officials propose 2026 water and sewer rate increases to rebuild reserves and fund big projects
Summary
Service Director Joe Shaw told the Utilities & Environment Committee that a 70¢ per 1,000‑gallon increase for water and a $1.11 per 1,000‑gallon increase for sewer are proposed for 2026 to cover capital work and rising plant debt; the committee favored a 3‑year plan for sewer and a 5‑year plan for water.
Sylvania Service Director Joe Shaw presented proposed rate changes for water and sewer that are included in the city’s 2026 budget, saying the increases are intended to restore reserve balances and pay for planned capital projects.
Shaw told the Utilities & Environment Committee that Toledo — the city’s bulk water supplier — has staged pricing changes and that regional normalization will make all satellite communities pay the same rate by 2026. "So 70¢ is really what we're talking about," he said when describing the recommended 2026 water increase of 70 cents per 1,000 gallons. For sewer, Shaw described accelerating county plant debt service and costly pump‑station work and proposed what he described as "a dollar 11 per 1,000 gallons increase in '26." He said the city faces large replacement projects, including a full Sylvania Avenue pump‑station replacement he estimated at about $3,000,000.
Council members asked how the changes would affect typical households. Shaw estimated a four‑person household uses roughly 9,000–10,000 gallons per month, noting his own September bill was 9,300 gallons. He also explained the city’s debt policy target of maintaining a reserve equal to roughly 20% of expenditures and said his comfort target was to have an additional ~$500,000 cushion above the policy minimum by 2030.
Committee members and councilors discussed whether to reach reserve targets over three or five years. Marcus Hanson, chair of the Utilities & Environment Committee, and several members said they preferred a shorter, three‑year timeline for sewer to more quickly address plant debt exposure; the committee reported alignment to move forward with a 3‑year sewer plan while keeping a 5‑year approach for water.
Shaw emphasized that the 2026 proposed rate adjustments are already built into the draft 2026 budget materials and that final action would require modification of the budget if council chose different numbers. "My goal is just to get the information in front of you so you can see why we're asking for what we are," he said.
Next steps: The rate changes are included in the administration’s 2026 budget ordinance now at first reading; council will consider the budget and any rate adjustments during subsequent budget readings and votes.
