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Westland council adopts water, sewer rate increase tied to Great Lakes Water Authority pass-through
Summary
The Westland City Council adopted Ordinance 29-W-46-1 to revise municipal water and sewer rates after hearing that Great Lakes Water Authority raised its charges; council members said most households will see about a $4 average increase per billing cycle and the first 5,000 gallons will not be raised.
The Westland City Council voted 6–1 on March 16 to adopt Ordinance 29-W-46-1, updating municipal water, sewer and industrial waste control charges after the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) raised its wholesale rate. The motion was made by Councilwoman Martin and supported by Councilman Sullivan; a roll call showed six yes votes and one no.
Councilman Sullivan said the council is passing through a GLWA increase that was reduced to 5.6% and that the city had worked to limit customer impact. “They increased the rate 5.6% for this year,” Sullivan said, adding that “the average bill increase will be, from the projections that I've seen, about $4 per bill.” He and other council members noted the city structured the change so the first 5,000 gallons will see no increase, reducing effects on lower-usage households and many senior residents.
Director Adams told the council the item had been postponed from the March 2 agenda after the city received updated GLWA information; that adjustment is what prompted the revised rates that appeared on this meeting’s agenda. Mayor and Council President Mike McDermott framed the vote as a response to regional cost pressures and referenced past litigation and regional billing dynamics as context for why some costs were shared across municipalities.
The ordinance was adopted after council discussion and a roll-call vote. Motion: adoption of Ordinance 29-W-46-1 to amend chapter 46 (section references per the agenda) to update municipal water, sewer and industrial waste control charges. Motion by Councilwoman Martin; supported by Councilman Sullivan. Vote (as read aloud): Councilwoman Baumann — Yes; Councilwoman Martin — Yes; Councilwoman Rakowski — Yes; Councilwoman Samby — No; Councilman Sullivan — Yes; Pro Tem Maxwell — Yes; President McDermott — Yes. Outcome: approved.
What changes mean: Council members and the administration said the increase reflects higher wholesale costs charged by GLWA and that structuring the rate change to protect the first 5,000 gallons will blunt the impact on many households. The administration said the projected average per-billing-cycle (every other month) increase is about $4 for an average customer; multi-year increases were discussed but depend on future GLWA actions.
Next steps: The ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the administration will implement the new rates per the city’s standard effective-date procedures (no specific effective date was stated on the record).
