Sellersburg council advances sewer and water rate ordinances, schedules public hearing

The Town of Sellersburg Council on April 27 approved first readings of ordinances that would raise sewer, water and fire-protection rates in phased steps over coming years and scheduled a public hearing on the sewer ordinance for May 26.

Council members said the measures follow a 2025 rate study by municipal advisers Baker Tilly and are intended to bring the utilities into financial and operational stability after years of deferred maintenance and capacity concerns. Council legal staff told members the ordinances were being introduced and that the council would receive public comment at the scheduled hearings before a second reading or adoption.

The sewer ordinance (2026-OR-009) states the plant had been operating near 90% capacity and cites an earlier early-warning letter from the Indiana environmental regulator; council members referenced the 2025 Baker Tilly study in explaining phased increases. The water and fire-protection ordinance (2026-OR-010) is structured similarly and lists five phases of rate increases; the ordinances direct staff to publish required notices and to mail notices to out-of-town customers as required by Indiana utility-code provisions.

Council approved first-reading motions by voice vote. Jake (the council attorney) said a public hearing is scheduled for May 26 on the sewer ordinance and that the council may then either adopt on second reading or postpone to another date after hearing public input. The council instructed staff to publish the full ordinance texts and required legal notices.

Officials said the phased approach was chosen to avoid large, sudden shocks to ratepayers while addressing compliance and capacity shortfalls identified in the rate study. The council did not adopt final rates at the meeting; public hearings and the second-reading process remain the next procedural steps.