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Select Board asks staff to model higher water and sewer rates; changes eyed for fall 2026
Summary
Finance Director Maggie Frizzell presented fund-balance data Dec. 1; the Select Board discussed raising the usage rate (previously considered $8.00 per 1,000 gallons) and asked staff to model base-fee scenarios and usage rates, with any change to take effect in fall 2026.
Finance Director Maggie Frizzell presented the Select Board with fund-balance histories for the water and sewer departments at the Dec. 1 work session and the board resumed a discussion about raising rates to rebuild reserves.
Select Board member Kathy-Jean Lavoie said the board previously discussed increasing the usage rate to $8.00 per 1,000 gallons but tempered the proposal in the past; she noted that the cost of living has risen about 29% since 2018 and said raising rates to restore fund balance "makes sense to me." The current usage rate had been $6.50 per 1,000 gallons.
The board asked Frizzell to produce revenue projections for several scenarios: residential base fees of $125 for water and $140 for sewer, commercial base fees of $210 for water and $225 for sewer, and usage-rate scenarios of $7.15 and $7.50 per 1,000 gallons. Members discussed whether to raise only the usage rate or to change base fees as well; the board agreed any adopted change would take effect in fall 2026.
No formal motion or vote was recorded at the work session. The direction to staff was to run the proposed scenarios and return projected revenue figures and impacts to residential and commercial customers at a future meeting so the board can consider formal adoption.
