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Mount Vernon council adopts 2026 appropriations and new water, wastewater charges
Summary
Mount Vernon City Council adopted a roughly $67 million appropriations resolution and approved annual water and wastewater rate increases for 2026–2028, prompting public comment from a resident who said he had been double‑billed on a duplex account and asked for meter‑based billing.
Mount Vernon City Council adopted Resolution 2025-122, the city’s 2026 appropriations measure, and approved Ordinance 2025-34, which implements annual water and wastewater rate adjustments for 2026–2028.
Auditor and administration officials told council the spending plan was built on conservative revenue assumptions and noted the budget enables the administration to bid planned projects and manage anticipated supplemental appropriations. The meeting record cites an overall appropriations total described by council as about $67,000,000 for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026.
During public comment, resident Mike Hilliard said he believes the city’s metering and billing rules have caused him to be charged two minimum monthly fees for a duplex served by one meter. "I have paid double water and sewer bill because I was told I had 1 meter," Hilliard said, adding he paid "$600–$700 more" this year and asked simply to "pay me for what I'm using." Council and staff responded that a duplex is currently billed as two capacity/minimum charges and that practice is common among municipalities. Administration said lowering the minimum and moving to purely usage‑based billing would require a detailed study of the plant’s revenue needs and debt service obligations before any change could be implemented.
City staff described the mechanics of the new rates during the ordinance debate. Administration said the city’s minimum monthly volumetric offering is 400 cubic feet (about 2,992 gallons) and that the current water base charge is $24.95, rising to $26.70 after the 2026 increase; wastewater would move from $29.83 to $33.12 under the ordinance. The staff presentation compared Mount Vernon’s structure with nearby cities and said the city’s higher minimum reflects its billing design and scale of service.
Council members voted to adopt both the appropriations resolution and the wastewater rate ordinance after discussion. The administration noted the budget and the rates set the city’s spending and revenue assumptions for next year and that supplemental appropriations can be expected when new grants or specific funds are received.
The council’s actions take effect according to the emergency declarations attached to several measures; staff said specific implementation and billing calculations will be handled through the utilities office and in forthcoming administrative procedures.
