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Council discusses targeted water-rate relief for low-income seniors, asks attorney for options
Summary
Council discussed possible utility-rate relief options for seniors on fixed incomes — including hardship applications, income-based eligibility tied to property-tax circuit-breaker qualification, or small monthly discounts — and asked the city attorney to develop options for a July review and a potential August decision.
Cam City Council discussed a resident request for relief from a recent water-rate increase for a senior on a fixed income and directed staff to pursue options and legal guidance.
The presiding official described a call from a senior widow concerned about how the increase would affect her Social Security–based income and asked council to consider an approach to help older residents. Council members suggested several options: an income-based hardship application, using county property-tax circuit-breaker qualification as a proof proxy, or a modest monthly credit (examples mentioned included $5–$10) that would be meaningful to affected households but would have minimal budgetary impact for the utility system.
Staff reported that the utility's customer base includes many low-use accounts; council discussed that a modest per-account reduction would not materially affect total revenue but could meaningfully help individual residents. Members agreed to ask the city attorney, Brad, to draft options and legal constraints for presentation in July, with the goal of deciding on a fee-rate amendment in August.
No policy was adopted at the meeting; the council asked staff and the city attorney to prepare several options, including a potential hardship application and eligibility criteria.
