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Walkersville adopts ordinance raising water service rates after public hearing
Summary
The Burgess and Commissioners adopted Ordinance 2024-5 to raise water service fees (20% initial increase with phased raises thereafter), citing operating deficits and rising costs; residents at the public hearing urged better notice and urged phasing to reduce hardship.
The Burgess and Commissioners of Walkersville voted July 10 to adopt Ordinance 2024-5, which implements a new water service fee schedule that will take effect Oct. 1 and begins with a 20% increase for the first step and smaller phased increases in later years. The board approved the ordinance by voice vote after a public hearing that drew multiple residents raising affordability and notice concerns.
At the hearing, long-time ratepayer Dan Laxton of Treasure Avenue urged the town to provide earlier notice to customers outside town limits and to phase increases more gradually, saying the combined effect of rate changes and HOA pass-throughs could amount to what he estimated as a roughly 50% rise in his total water-related costs over five years. “If you're giving me a 20% increase and I pay 150% of the base rate, a 150% of 20 is 30%... the math works,” Laxton said, describing the shock for fixed-income households and urging the board to consider phasing.
Resident James Lackmeier of Inquiry Court questioned how the projected $178,000 in annual revenue from the rate package would relate to a much larger estimated capital need discussed at the meeting — roughly $9.2–$9.3 million to replace Discovery-area mains. Staff and commissioners acknowledged that the new rates are intended to cover ongoing operating shortfalls (staff cited deficits in the $150,000–$250,000 range) and to improve the water fund’s solvency, but that the increase alone would not fully fund the Discovery main-replacement project. Town staff reported that about $3 million of previously awarded COVID/ARPA funds will be used toward the Discovery work and said the town will pursue grants or bonding to cover the remainder.
Town staff summarized technical drivers for the decision, including the cost to operate the new water treatment plant (installed to meet state requirements for contaminants such as PFAS), rising county wastewater disposal fees and other operating-cost increases since the last rate change in 2016. Staff noted the ordinance also amends an exhibit to reset a loan-repayment interest rate to 1 percent. The ordinance was moved for adoption by a commissioner and seconded by another; the board adopted it by voice vote.
The town’s staff said the ordinance’s effective date is Oct. 1, 2024, and that the first billing cycles that reflect the change will occur in mid-2025 under the town’s billing schedule. Commissioners and staff repeatedly told residents the board is exploring options (grants, bonds, phased capital work) to address the larger capital shortfall for Discovery-area mains and encouraged continued public engagement. Several residents said they would use the town website and posted materials to follow developments.
The public hearing record and the adopted ordinance text show the council considered edits to the ordinance language to emphasize necessity rather than desirability and to clarify that multiple factors drive the proposed increases, not solely the Discovery capital need. The board’s action was procedural and final for this meeting; staff said future boards or subsequent actions could revisit the schedule if grant funding or other revenues change the town’s financing outlook.
