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Woodway delays decision on 5‑year water and wastewater rate plan after financial modeling request
Summary
After a presentation showing wastewater revenues below cost of service and a recommended five‑year plan (higher wastewater increases), the council voted to postpone adopting the rate plan so staff and consultants can provide updated numbers for the budget packet next month.
Jason Gray of Wildand Financial Services presented a five‑year water and wastewater rate study showing wastewater revenues currently below the cost of service and identifying nearly $31.3 million in wastewater capital projects that drive the need for higher wastewater rate increases.
Gray said the consultant recommendation was to apply 2% water increases in years 1–3, 3% in years 4–5, and 10% wastewater increases each year for five years, and he cautioned that "if it's a single year, it's not enough" to close the funding gap. He told council the plan spreads the burden over multiple years and projects a manageable reserve that briefly draws down to roughly 103 days of operating reserve before building later in the plan.
Councilmembers raised concerns about drawing on fund balance during early years and asked for alternate scenarios (for example, starting water at 3% rather than 2%) and more detailed modeling of debt service impacts. With staff requesting final numbers by next month for inclusion in the budget presentation, council moved and voted to postpone action on the rate plan until the next meeting so staff and the consultant can provide updated projections.
No rates were adopted at the meeting; the matter is scheduled for further consideration next month.
