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Council directs staff to draft five‑year utility rate ordinance after committee recommendation
Summary
The council voted to have staff draft an ordinance implementing a five‑year plan that would raise electric rates 3% annually, water 3% and sewer 2%; the recommendation came from the Utilities & Building Committee and the council approved drafting only, not adoption.
The Houston City Council voted Dec. 1 to direct staff to draft an ordinance implementing a five‑year plan of annual utility rate increases recommended by the Utilities and Building Committee.
Alderman Fred Stottlemyre, committee chair, told the council the committee’s recommendation calls for electric and water rate increases of 3% per year and sewer increases of 2% per year. The motion approved by the council authorized city staff and the city attorney to prepare ordinance language reflecting the committee recommendation; the council did not adopt the ordinance on Dec. 1.
The committee’s recommendation included a target start date of Jan. 15; the meeting record lists the year as 2025. Given the council met Dec. 1, 2025, the record’s year appears to be a typographical error; the council motion approved only directing staff to draft the ordinance and did not set a final effective date. The ordinance drafting motion carried with six yes votes.
Next steps: staff will prepare an ordinance for council consideration and subsequent readings, at which point the council would vote on adoption and any specific effective dates and implementation details.
