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Lake City council moves to restore 2021 sewer rates after missing ARPA funding, authorizes mayor to seek 1-cent sales tax
Summary
After learning the city did not receive ARPA grant funding and was 13th on the wait list, the Lake City Council voted to raise sewer rates to levels set by Ordinance No. 311-21 effective Jan. 2023 and gave the mayor authority to pursue a one-cent sales tax; the sewer rate motion passed 5-0 with one abstention.
Mayor Cameron Tate told the Lake City Council the city had not received an ARPA grant for the sewer plant project and was 13th on the ARPA wait list, and he discussed options with the council and the city engineer.
Given the grant denial and the city’s liabilities, council members moved to proceed with the sewer rate increase previously approved under Ordinance No. 311-21. Councilmember Brenda Hutcheson moved and Councilmember Harmony Cash seconded a motion to raise the sewer rates to the levels discussed and adopted in 2021, with the increase to begin Jan. 2023. The motion carried with five votes in favor; Councilmember Danny Dunigan abstained.
Separately, the council gave Mayor Tate authority to pursue a one-cent sales tax to help address funding needs for sewer infrastructure and other liabilities. The council did not take a separate, recorded vote on adopting a new sales tax at the meeting; the action recorded was authorization for the mayor to pursue the proposal.
The ordinance cited by the council is Ordinance No. 311-21, which established the prior sewer rate levels; the council directed staff to implement the rate change beginning Jan. 2023 in accordance with that ordinance. No additional details about rate percentages or billing impacts were specified in the meeting minutes.
