Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Everett staff outline roughly $12 monthly utility-rate increase and expanded assistance as council weighs tax proposal
Summary
Public Works presented a proposal that would add about $11.74 (~$12) per month to typical bills, raise the low-income assistance cap from $700 to $875 by Sept. 1, and use a $1 filtration charge and other revenue to retire portions of utility debt; council heard questions and will consider final readings later this month.
On May 20, 2026, Ryan Sass, Public Works and Utilities, told the Everett City Council that an ordinance to amend utility rates would increase typical customer bills by about $11.74 per month and add a separate water/sewer utility tax to raise revenue for mandated infrastructure projects and debt retirement.
Sass said staff are planning near-term and longer-term steps to mitigate hardship for low-income households. "By September 1, we can increase the annual maximum benefit for our low income assistance program from $700 to $875," he said, and staff are evaluating alternative income-qualification measures such as area median income and an ALICE (asset limited, income constrained, employed) threshold.
The presentation outlined three timing buckets: immediate actions before the proposed rates take effect Sept. 1, in-progress items, and changes that would await the next rate ordinance. Staff said the city's billing RFP requires a system capable of a voluntary "good neighbor" round-up program, and they plan to explore a targeted program for low-income renters.
Council members pressed staff for trade-off information. Council member Bader asked what services would be cut if the utility tax is not approved; administration replied that declining to pursue new revenue would likely require program and staffing reductions across departments, longer permit review timelines and potentially fewer court hearings. "If we weren't to use revenue as a tool to fill our structural deficit, any further cuts would require reductions in service levels and programs," the administration representative said.
On inflation and construction costs, staff cited the Mortenson construction cost index and said rising nonresidential construction costs and mandatory capital projects are principal drivers of the proposed rate change. Staff said some capital work was deferred during the current rate period to preserve affordability, but that projects now under way have bumped the city's capital needs.
On bond retirement and the additional filtration dollar, finance staff said portions of outstanding principal could be paid down in the next three years if the revenue package passes, which would reduce future rate pressure. Council members sought clarification on whether the filtration dollar would be removed once specific bonds are paid; staff said retiring debt early lowers overall costs and can forestall future increases, but that regulatory-required sewer and stormwater projects will continue to exert upward pressure on rates.
There was no final vote on the rate ordinance at the May 20 meeting; items 6–8 (which include the utility tax and the rate ordinance) were read into the record and scheduled for third and final reading on May 27, 2026. Council members and staff said they will continue outreach on assistance eligibility and billing adjustments ahead of the next vote.
