Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Thurston County proposes multi-utility rate increases for 2026–27
Summary
County staff proposed a phased consolidation of water and sewer rates, an 8% annual stormwater base-rate increase for 2026–27, a 25% noxious-weed assessment rise (about $10 per parcel) for 2026, and an average 13.5% solid-waste rate increase; advisory committees recommended the changes and public commenters voiced support.
Thurston County officials presented proposed adjustments to water, sewer, stormwater, noxious-weed and solid-waste rates for the 2026–27 biennium, saying the changes are needed to cover rising operating and capital costs and to implement a multi-year consolidation of water and sewer service-area rates.
Karen Lees, Public Works director, told the Board of County Commissioners the county’s consolidated water-and-sewer rate model (adopted in 2024 after consultant modeling) phases blended service-area rates over five years. "The proposed '26 and '27 adjustments implement the next step in that rate model with all service areas paying the same rates beginning in 2028," Lees said, adding that some service areas will see decreases while others experience modest increases during the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
