Goodyear officials present multi‑year utility rate plan; public hearing set for Dec. 15

City staff presented a detailed rate-setting analysis for Goodyear’s water, wastewater and solid-waste enterprise funds and outlined a proposed multi‑year schedule of increases designed to keep each utility fund solvent and maintain infrastructure.

Deputy City Manager Kenny Knusen and Finance Manager Ryan Biddle said the study accounts for capital projects, regulatory mandates and operational cost increases. Biddle summarized the committee-backed proposal as a phased approach, noting that the average residential customer would see an estimated increase of about $8.50 per month in year one under the combined package and that water increases modeled at roughly 6.75% annually and wastewater at about 5.5% annually.

Biddle told council, "That means the monthly bill for an average residential water user in Goodyear would go up $2.71 in 2026," and described projected compounding increases in subsequent years. Staff emphasized that the stormwater fee had been removed from consideration by council direction and the rate proposals presented were designed to meet the city's financial-policy requirements, including a 15% reserve target for enterprise funds.

Representatives of the Citizens Water Advisory Committee spoke to the council about their deliberations. Former committee chair (and committee member) said he and another member voted against the recommendation due to concerns about the cumulative rate impact and urged council to consider options to mitigate near-term bill pressure on residents. The committee chair noted staff and committee discussion about using debt issuance to spread costs and the long‑term need for projects such as PFAS treatment and surface-water-plant expansion.

No action was taken at the meeting. Staff said notices will be included on city service bills, in the December InFocus magazine and on social media, and the public hearing on the proposed rates is scheduled for Dec. 15.