Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Charles council approves utility-rate increase to fund mandated lead-service-line replacements
Summary
On April 6, 2026, the St. Charles City Council approved an ordinance amending Title 13 to raise water rates to fund a 10-year lead-service-line replacement program. Residents and some aldermen urged the city to pursue alternative funding and clear public communication; the motion carried with two recorded no votes.
The St. Charles City Council on April 6 approved an ordinance amending Title 13 of the municipal code to increase utility rates to fund mandated lead-service-line replacements over a 10-year period.
The ordinance follows state requirements that accelerated replacement timelines; during public comment Rita Pay Whitner (Second Ward) called the plan a burden on ratepayers, saying the increase could amount to about $1,000 per household per year and warning that "this crisis is wrongly set to be managed on the backs of the rateayers alone." Whitner urged the council to distribute the cost more broadly across city budgets and visitors.
A member of the public, Mr. Schroer, raised technical and process questions about the program, recommending the city "publicize if they add orthophosphate to the water supply to coat the interior of lead piping" and asking whether the city will use private contractors or self-perform work, whether the work will require camera inspections or repairs to disturbed sanitary lines, and whether impact fees or other revenue sources could offset costs.
Several council members expressed support for completing the replacements while criticizing the reliance on rate increases as the sole funding source. Alderman Mun said she supports the need for the mandated work but objected to the lack of a fuller search for alternate funding, calling for the council to "dig into" other sources immediately so future years’ increases could be eased. Councilwoman Small likewise urged exploring revenue that would make visitors and development share more of the burden.
The mayor noted the council and staff have applied for grants and will continue to pursue outside funding while also saying, "everyone up here, just like you, is going to pay this rate increase," underscoring the council's stated willingness to bear the same rates as residents.
The record indicates the ordinance was moved, seconded and approved by roll call; two council members registered "no" votes as recorded in the meeting transcript. The ordinance text, ordinance number and a detailed implementation schedule were not specified in the public remarks recorded in the transcript.
Next steps: council members asked staff to continue seeking grants and alternative revenue and to improve public communication about the timeline, construction impacts and homeowner options. The council did not provide a final funding breakdown or contractor selection in the meeting.
