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Cibolo council votes to remove water acquisition fee tied to consultant findings
Summary
The Cibolo City Council on Jan. 27 amended its fee schedule to eliminate the water acquisition fee after a consultant concluded the city has sufficient water capacity; staff said the change will save residents roughly $9 per month and reduce utility fund expenditures by about $1,000,000 in 2026.
Cibolo — The City Council voted Jan. 27 to amend Ordinance 15 15 to remove the water acquisition fee after staff said a water consultant found the system has adequate capacity to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements.
City staff presented the change as part of updates to the city’s fee schedule. "LRE Water has confirmed that the City maintains more than enough capacity to meet TCEQ system requirements," City staff member Miranda said, and staff recommended eliminating the fee to pass savings to customers. Miranda said the removal eliminates a charge that previously generated "approximately $860,000 annually." She also said staff is adding a $1,500 developer fee for water system evaluations and a $1,500 wastewater system evaluation fee for development review.
Council members and staff described the residential impact in practical terms. One councilmember said residents have been charged "about $9 every single month" for water acquisition since 2024 and that removing the fee will lower individual bills by roughly that amount and reduce annual utility fund expenditures by roughly $1,000,000. Staff clarified that the wastewater-related development fee will increase slightly but that the net effect for typical residential customers is a savings on the water line item.
The amendment to the fee schedule was moved, seconded and approved by the council during the meeting. The ordinance language and exhibit showing the fee removal were available on AgendaLink as part of the meeting packet. The update also adds development-application fees designed to require an engineering capacity review for new projects.
The meeting packet and agenda materials list the consultant analysis and the pages in Exhibit A where the water acquisition fee removal and the new evaluation fees are detailed; staff said those materials will remain available on the city's website.
