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Milton council advances water and wastewater projects and approves rate increase proposal
Summary
At its April 14 meeting, the Milton Town Council approved presenting a proposed $3 increase to both water and sewer rates, authorized grant applications and ordinances tied to drinking-water and wastewater projects, and advanced grinder-pump and secondary-well upgrades.
The Milton Town Council on April 14 approved a proposal to raise the town's monthly water and sewer rates by $3 each and advanced several measures to fund and carry out water and wastewater projects.
Mayor Angela Upchurch led the council in voting to present a final rate proposal that would increase the water charge by $3 to $37.50 and the sewer charge by $3 to $37.50; the council also approved changing the baseline usage assessed from 2,000 to 2,250 gallons. The measures were presented as part of a package of grant ordinances and project approvals intended to support system upgrades.
Why it matters: Council members said the changes and grant applications would help fund immediate and planned improvements — including grinder-pump installations, upgrades to well capacity and distribution, and a proposed new water storage tank added to the Capital Improvement Plan.
Finance Officer Elizabeth Lattime summarized fund balances for February and noted town banking and NC Capital Management activity as background to the decisions. During the meeting Mayor Upchurch recounted recent operational work: “We were able to install 5 new grinder pumps, and as of this week, 4 more were installed,” a tally the council discussed in the context of the VUR and NCDEQ grant efforts.
The council approved a resolution to apply for the Viable Utility Reserve (VUR) spring round and accepted grant ordinances for NCDEQ drinking-water and wastewater funding, a VUR grinder-pump project, and secondary well upgrades. Councilors authorized releasing RFQ documents for the secondary-well site and pump upgrades; the RFQ sets a project completion target of November 15, 2027.
Councilor Robert Palmer moved to approve the rate and grant documents; the motions carried unanimously. The board said it does not expect another rate increase within two years unless an emergency arises.
What was not decided: The April 14 meeting approved the proposal to present the rate change at public hearing; a formal adoption depends on the public hearing process and any public comments received. The leak-relief and project approvals do not themselves obligate final contract awards until procurement and grant requirements are satisfied.
The council scheduled a work session on April 9, 2026, for budget discussions and noted upcoming public notifications related to hydrant flushing and public hearings.
