Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Boonton council adopts phased water and sewer rate increase
Summary
The Boonton Mayor and Town Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 18-25 to modify water and sewer rates, a phased change officials said is intended to improve long-term system sustainability; councilors asked staff to publicize the change so residents are not surprised by their next bills.
Boonton’s mayor and town council voted to adopt Ordinance 18-25, which adjusts water and sewer rates for all customers, after a council discussion that emphasized long-term sustainability.
Town Administrator Neil Henry and members of the finance and personnel committee said the measure was developed with input from CFO Mr. Yazdi and the town’s water superintendent. Councilors described the increases as deliberate and phased to avoid a large, single-year spike. Officials estimated the immediate impact for a base-rate customer would be about 3% and asked staff to include the ordinance outcome in the town newsletter so residents are informed before receiving the next bill.
During the discussion, councilors thanked CFO Mr. Yazdi and the water superintendent for analyzing multi-year impacts and framing the increase as part of a longer-term plan to fund system needs. One councilor said the committee had “discussed this at length” and that the proposed increases “are certainly not frivolous,” stressing the need to keep the water department financially solvent.
There were no public speakers during the ordinance hearing. Council members then moved the ordinance to a vote; the roll call recorded all council members present voting in favor and the ordinance was adopted.
What happens next: Council asked staff to publish the ordinance outcome in the town newsletter and other town communications so residents understand the timing and scale of the change. The ordinance will take effect according to the dates specified in the final adopted text.
"This ordinance is coming with a lot of context behind it and a lot of hard work," one councilor said during debate, crediting town staff for the analysis.
(Reporting note: the meeting transcript paraphrased some technical comments by staff; staff indicated the ordinance was developed with multi-year projections but did not provide a year-by-year schedule in the public discussion.)
