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Council adopts first reading of five‑year water and sewer rate ordinance
Summary
Council adopted the first reading of an ordinance to set water and sewer rates for 2027–2031, shifting more fixed costs into base charges and adjusting consumption tiers; staff said the change aims to move toward full cost recovery and better distribute variable costs.
At its June 15 meeting the North Canton City Council adopted the first reading of Ordinance 24‑2026, which would set water and sewer rates for a five‑year period beginning with the billing cycle that includes Jan. 1, 2027, and running through the billing cycle that includes Dec. 31, 2031.
Staff presenting the ordinance said the intent is to separate fixed and variable components of utility costs, increasing the minimum bill portion to better cover fixed plant and treatment costs while routing consumption charges to reflect variable treatment expenses. Presenters told council the approach would be more equitable for lower users (noting seniors tended to benefit) while moving larger users toward paying a greater share of variable costs.
Staff recommended including capital improvement plans that would be shown alongside rate scenarios at the next meeting to help residents visualize the consequences of adopting the increase versus not adopting it. Council voted to adopt the ordinance’s first reading and requested additional slides showing capital projects and the fiscal impacts of different rate choices in a follow‑up meeting.
What’s next: Additional materials — including capital improvement plan slides and a more detailed comparative projection of costs and impacts — were requested for the next reading to support final council action.
