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Vienna finance director: proposed water/sewer increase could fall to 1% with unified rate structure; council to decide in May
Summary
Finance director Stephen Barlow reported outreach to major commercial users on an advertised 4% water/sewer increase and said staff found a path to lower the increase to 1% if the council adopts a single rate structure for commercial and residential accounts; council will consider adoption on May 18.
Stephen Barlow, the town's finance director, gave a brief update on proposed water and sewer rates. The advertised proposal was a 4% increase, Barlow said, but staff identified an option that could reduce the increase to 1% if the council adopts a single rate structure that treats commercial and residential accounts the same.
Barlow said staff reached out to top commercial accounts and the most-impacted accounts by percentage; of 26 respondents, three were among the largest commercial users and three among the most impacted. Feedback was largely neutral and noted that any increase in operating costs would be passed to customers. Barlow said the highest commercial account example would see a roughly 20% increase in quarterly bill percentage terms, but the dollar impact for many businesses was modest.
Staff ran sample numbers for large multifamily properties billed on a single meter and estimated the change would amount to about $10 per unit per quarter at the two apartment complexes discussed; the council discussed concerns for low-income residents in meter structures where costs are passed through via condo or HOA fees. Town staff recommended the 1% option and said they would present analysis and next steps ahead of a May 18 adoption vote.
No formal rate change was adopted at the session; council and staff agreed to continue the dialogue and bring additional analysis to a future meeting.
