Georgetown council raises utility deposits, extends repayment plans and removes fee

Georgetown’s City Council unanimously approved an ordinance updating the city’s miscellaneous utility service rates and charges, raising both the standard residential deposit and the minimum commercial deposit from $150 to $250, removing a $15 administrative fee for repayment plans, and extending repayment plans from six months to 12 months. The changes are scheduled to take effect Dec. 1, 2025.

Sheree Hernandez, Customer Billing Manager, told the council the updates came from a staff review of billing operations and usage patterns. “These recommendations came out of this review and are designed to balance cost recovery for the city with flexibility and fairness for the customers,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the revised residential deposit covers roughly two months of average water and sewer usage and aligns deposits with current billing practices; she gave regional comparisons to show Georgetown’s proposed deposits remain in line with nearby cities. She reported the average residential multi‑service bill is about $274 and the median about $241; for water‑and‑sewer‑only accounts the average is about $125 and the median about $109.

Under the changes customers may still qualify to waive deposits by providing a 12‑month clean letter of credit from another utility or by enrolling in automatic bank draft for 12 months. Hernandez also said repayment plans will be created and monitored by customer service staff and that missed payments will terminate a plan and make the full past‑due balance due.

The ordinance text presented to council amends Title 13, Chapter 13.04, Article 7 of the City of Georgetown Code of Ordinances concerning miscellaneous utility service rates and charges. Council moved approval after the presentation; the motion passed unanimously.