Stephens City council approves water and sewer rate increase effective August billing cycle

Stephens City council voted to raise the town's water and sewer rates after a Finance Committee recommendation.

Councilman Joseph Hollis, chairing the Finance Committee report, said the committee recommended increasing the water rate from $3.34 to $4.34 per unit and the sewer rate from $7.71 to $10.23 per unit. The new minimum bill will increase from $56.65 to $66.58. The Council voted to adopt the committee recommendation; the rate changes were scheduled to take effect on the August billing cycle.

The rate adjustment was presented to address utility revenue needs identified by the Finance and Water/Sewer committees. The motion to raise rates carried on the record with Councilmembers Bowers, Fravel, Hollis, Nauman and Swygert-Smith voting aye; Councilwoman Kelly Thatcher was absent for the meeting and Councilman Linden A. Fravel Jr. was recorded in other votes as dissenting on separate items but voted aye on this motion.

The council packet materials and committee minutes referenced the new rate table and the effective date; customers were to see the new minimum reflected in the August statement. The Council did not adopt additional language in the public minutes about rate mitigation or customer assistance programs at this meeting.

The item will appear in August billing and remain subject to any formal ordinance adoption or publication steps required by town code.