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Rowlett council approves fee changes, raising trash and water bills to cover rising contract costs
Summary
The Rowlett City Council unanimously adopted adjustments to the master fee schedule Sept. 2, 2025, passing through contract-driven increases that raise residential trash by about 10% (~$2/month) and water and wastewater rates by roughly 8–10%, projected to increase an average residential bill by about $11.
The Rowlett City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Sept. 2 to amend the master fee schedule, passing through increases from third‑party service providers that officials said the city can no longer absorb.
Wendy Badgett, the city’s finance director, told the council the solid‑waste changes reflect a 7% contract increase from Republic Services plus an annual contractual adjustment, resulting in about a 10% increase for residential customers. She said the utility section reflects contract increases from the North Texas Municipal Water District for water supply and the city of Garland for wastewater treatment, with an 8% water-rate adjustment and a 10% wastewater adjustment. "A residential customer using the average 7,500 gallons of water per month would see about a 9% or $11 increase in their bill," Badgett said.
Mayor/proceedings leader noted staff had tried to limit increases where possible and described the adjustments as pass‑through costs tied to external contracts. "It’s not a decision we take any pleasure in making to raise rates by that amount," the presiding officer said, echoing staff’s rationale that the city’s fund balance is no longer sufficient to fully shield residents from supplier price increases.
Council members asked questions about the composition of the increases and were told that the city reviewed comparable fees in surrounding jurisdictions and that the proposed changes were incorporated into the FY26 budget projections. The motion to adopt the resolution passed unanimously.
The fee schedule amendment also created a new $3 damage fee in the library miscellaneous section for repairable materials, Badgett said. Councilmembers directed staff to continue public communication about rate changes and to provide additional outreach about water‑use efficiency programs available to residents.
The council’s vote implements the new fees as part of the FY26 budget process; staff said details and examples of how the changes affect typical residential and commercial customers will be posted on the city website.
