Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sumner approves utility-rate increases and updates system development charges for 2026
Summary
Sumner City Council unanimously adopted ordinance 2947 raising utility rates approximately 5.7% in 2026 (and ~5.6% in 2027 on average) and ordinance 2948 updating system development charges effective Jan. 1, 2026; staff said increases fund deferred maintenance and prevent larger future spikes.
The Sumner City Council on Nov. 17 adopted two ordinances adjusting utility charges: ordinance 2947 increases retail utility rates for 2026 and 2027, and ordinance 2948 updates system development charges (SDCs) and shifts the inflation-adjustment effective date to Jan. 1.
Public Works Director Michael Khosah told the council the average residential bill in 2025 for a home using about 700 cubic feet of water was $154.12. Under the 2947 proposal, the average monthly combined utility bill would rise to about $162.94 in 2026 (an average increase of roughly 5.7%) and to about $172.01 in 2027 (roughly 5.6%). Khosah said the increases are intended to maintain service levels, fund preventative maintenance and identified capital projects, and avoid larger, emergency-driven increases in the future.
Khosah said the utility rate model added budget items for streets and parks projects, $300,000 per year for economic-development SDC grants, a staffed labor plan, and refined project costs for the operations facility, White River Restoration Project and biosolids modernization. He noted some projects were delayed to ensure adequate funding and staffing, and said deferred-project funds remain in the specific enterprise fund if a project does not move forward.
On SDCs (ordinance 2948), Khosah said the city will adopt new connection charges effective Jan. 1, 2026, and use the October Seattle construction cost index applied on Jan. 1 going forward to align with other permit adjustments. He said the water SDC is proposed to decrease from $79.56 to $64.89 per meter-capacity equivalent; sewer would increase from $59.05 to $70.66 per residential equivalent; and storm would increase from $27.77 to $32.09 per equivalent service unit. Khosah provided an example: a newly developed single-family home’s combined SDCs would change from $16,568 to $16,764 under the proposed figures.
Council members and residents pressed staff about the cumulative impact of repeating annual increases (one resident noted a 5% annual rise compounds substantially over several years), asked for alternative comparison models (for small-business examples or recent local developments instead of a hypothetical new single-family lot), and asked how unspent funds would be held; staff said funds remain in the appropriate enterprise fund and feed into future rate models.
Council member Clurgett moved to approve ordinance 2947; Council member Kenna seconded. For ordinance 2948 the motion was made by Council member Reinke and seconded; both measures passed unanimously.
What’s next: rates and SDCs become effective per ordinance language (rate schedule and SDCs effective 01/01/2026; inflation adjustments applied in future as described).
