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North Canton committee advances five‑year water and sewer rate plan after Verdantis presentation
Summary
Consultants from Verdantis told the North Canton City Council utilities committee the city should align minimum bills to meter size and phase in a five‑year rate schedule to preserve reserves; low‑use households would see negligible net change while large‑meter commercial accounts could face bigger increases.
Consultants from Verdantis told the North Canton City Council utilities committee that the city’s proposed five‑year water and sewer ordinance is intended to make billing more transparent and equitable while avoiding sudden, large rate hikes.
Mr. McNutt, the Verdantis presenter, told the committee the legal litmus for utility rates is threefold: “Our rates have to be reasonable. They have to be defensible. And they must be equitable,” and outlined a recommendation to align minimum bills to industry meter‑size ratios so customers pay for the fixed costs their meters impose on the system.
The proposal would change how minimum bills and consumption charges are structured. Verdantis presented a sample residential sewer minimum that would fall from the current $43.99 to about $42 a month for a standard 5/8‑inch meter, while minimums for larger meters would increase proportionally so that customers with larger meters pay a larger fixed share of infrastructure costs. On the consumption side, Verdantis showed an illustrative demand charge reduction on the sewer side (from about $6.05 to $4 per 1,000 gallons) and recommended a typical 5% annual increase applied over five years.
Why it matters: the firm’s models show the city’s carryover balance declining under current rates (Verdantis projected the city could dip below target carryover months later this decade). The consultants said phased, modest increases now reduce the risk of later two‑digit emergency hikes.
Impact on households and businesses: Verdantis said very low‑use residential customers (example used: households using 2,000 gallons/month) would see a small net monthly savings (about $1.20) when water and sewer recommendations are combined; a 4,000‑gallon household would see an illustrative increase of roughly $5.39/month. Council members pressed Verdantis on likely impacts for commercial customers with 6‑ and 8‑inch meters; the presenter acknowledged those larger meters could see materially larger percentage increases and advised the city to expect pushback from some commercial accounts.
On interjurisdictional charges: council members asked how increases by Canton or Stark County would pass through to North Canton customers. Verdantis said the city can fold those third‑party charges into a consolidated, more transparent bill structure so residents see one coherent total rather than multiple line items.
What’s next: the utilities committee voted to move the ordinance (item 3A, amending chapters 927 and 937) to the full council agenda for formal readings. Council staff said the proposed schedule would take effect with the billing cycle that includes Jan. 1, 2027 and run through the billing cycle that includes Dec. 1, 2031, subject to the council’s final action and any amendments.
Council members and staff said they plan follow‑up work on customer‑communication materials, a meter‑size review for large accounts, and routine monitoring of carryover balances.
