Residents press city over unexpectedly high water bills; council asks staff to test meters

Multiple residents raised concerns about unexpectedly high water bills at the Nov. 12 Josephine City Council meeting, prompting council to ask staff for more testing and documentation.

Marcela Malay, who identified herself as a realtor and resident, said she was charged $230–$250 a month for a 1,800-square-foot house she put up for rent even while it was vacant for two months. "I put it for rent, and they still charged me $250 a month with nobody living in it for 2 months," Malay said, asking the council for an explanation and saying the charges were “outrageous.”

Another resident, identified in the record as Jose, described large monthly readings on the utility app — reporting bills that suggested 5,000–24,000 gallons of use in months when irrigation systems had been turned off. "The water bill is just getting completely, super high for no reason," Jose said.

City staff responded that an independent study done in February 2022 placed the city in the middle of comparable rate ranges and that customers can view usage through the city app. Public works staff later told council they perform field checks — including five-gallon bucket tests — and maintain data logs. Councilmembers asked staff for a formal report of recent meter-check activity and for random checks of meters where complaints have arisen.

Mayor and council members discussed whether the issue reflects irrigation, billing processes, or meter accuracy. Public works said it conducts about 20 customer-initiated meter checks per month and can provide usage logs; council asked staff to supply that information and to explore third-party testing if needed.

The most recent procedural step recorded in the meeting was a request from council that staff compile and report on meter test outcomes and on any follow-up findings; no policy change or billing adjustment was voted at the meeting.