The Tonganoxie City Council adopted ordinances Dec. 15 that raise water and sewer charges and adjust system development fees, and separately approved modest increases to contracted trash and optional curbside recycling fees.

City Manager George Brackovich and staff presented a consultant study and three policy options, and they recommended a moderated approach that implements roughly half of the consultant’s suggested increase. Brackovich told the council that an average residential combined water-andsewer customer using about 4,000 gallons would see their monthly bill move from about $75 to about $85 — roughly a $10 increase.

Finance staff cautioned the council that the wastewater fund will face increased debt-service pressure after the recently approved sewer-plant expansion; without some revenue adjustments staff projected worsening fund balances by 2027. Porter said the proposed system development fee change on the water side — an example increase shown from $3,000 to $4,010 for a new connection — was tied to actual meter-equipment cost increases since 2019.

Separately, Porter described proposed changes to the city’s contract with Honey Creek for residential trash collection: Honey Creek requested a roughly $2 monthly increase in its charge, but the city will absorb most of that cost and pass through only about $0.25 to customers (raising the city’s residential sanitation charge from $16.00 to $16.25). Optional biweekly curbside recycling would rise from $4.50 to $5.50 per month for customers who elect to keep that service.

Councilmembers asked staff for more detail on the fund-balance projections; staff said they would follow up with reconciliations and clarified that assumptions in the presentation were projections, not guarantees. Council members also urged the administration to consider whether a formal reserve policy should be developed so future councils have clearer guidance on fund-balance targets.

Councilmember Dale moved to adopt Ordinance 15-38 (water and sewer changes) using staff’s Option B; the motion was seconded and carried. Council later approved Ordinance 15-39 (solid waste and recycling regulations and rates) on a separate motion.

The ordinances take effect according to the schedules in the staff recommendation; the city will shift the effective billing date for water and sewer changes to the April 1 billing cycle to allow added public notice and multiple billing cycles to begin collecting adjusted revenue.