Stilwell City Council adopts Ordinance 309 H to raise water, sewer and electric rates; approves emergency clause

The Stilwell City Council voted Aug. 7, 2025, to adopt Ordinance 309 H, which sets new rates for water, sewer and electric service effective Sept. 1, 2025, with a further increase scheduled for March 1, 2026. Councilmember Debbie Johnson moved to approve the ordinance; Councilmember Lane Kindle seconded. Councilmembers Barrett Harris, Debbie Johnson, Jim Spray and Lane Kindle voted yes and the motion carried.

According to the ordinance language read into the record, Ordinance 309 H makes definitions, sets policy and responsibility for utility rates and expressly repeals Ordinances 309 D, 309 E, 309 F and 309 G. The council then voted to adopt an emergency clause — moved by Councilmember Jim Spray and seconded by Councilmember Debbie Johnson — so the ordinance’s provisions would become effective immediately upon passage and approval, as allowed by law. The recorded votes on both the ordinance and the emergency clause were four yes votes; no no votes or abstentions were recorded in the transcript.

Mayor Jean Ann Wright and other officials were present for the special meeting, which opened at 5:31 p.m.; two officials listed in the roll call were absent: Coye Nettles and City Clerk-Treasurer Larry Nettles. City Attorney Jeff Jones was listed as arriving later in the meeting. Secretary Amy Duncan served as secretary for the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 7:03 p.m.

The ordinance as read identifies effective dates (Sept. 1, 2025; increase on March 1, 2026) and repeals earlier ordinance versions tied to the same code section; the transcript does not provide rate tables, percentage changes or dollar amounts. Those quantitative details were not specified in the meeting record and are not included here. The council’s motions and votes, as recorded in the transcript, are the definitive actions taken at the meeting. The city posted the meeting notice and agenda to Stilwell City Hall and the city website on Aug. 5, 2025.

Next steps: because the council adopted an emergency clause, the ordinance is effective immediately per the vote recorded at the meeting. The transcript does not record any additional implementation steps or a schedule for public notice of new billing rates beyond the effective dates stated in the ordinance text.