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Ruston council holds first reading of ordinance to pass through Tacoma electric rate increases
Summary
At a Jan. 7 council meeting, Ruston presented Ordinance 1589 for first reading to pass through Tacoma Power rate increases: 6.5% kWh raises effective March 21, 2025 and March 21, 2026 and an approximate 12% fixed-rate increase effective April 2025; the ordinance includes specific new rates for regular and low-income customers.
The Ruston City Council heard the first reading of Ordinance 1589 at its Jan. 7, 2025 meeting, proposing increases to the city-run electrical utility rates to align with higher charges from the City of Tacoma. The ordinance calls for consumption (kWh) rate increases of 6.5% effective March 21, 2025, and an additional 6.5% effective March 21, 2026, and it matches Tacoma’s roughly 12% increase in fixed charges that will be effective April 2025.
The ordinance text includes tabled rate specifics: the regular kWh rate would rise from $0.1157 to $0.1232 on March 21, 2025 and to $0.1312 on March 21, 2026; the low-income/disabled kWh rate is shown rising from $0.0795 to $0.0847 and then to $0.0902. Minimum fixed charges would increase from $24.25 to $27.16 for regular customers and from $19.74 to $22.11 for low-income customers. The ordinance states the increases are intended to recover higher wholesale purchase costs from Tacoma Power and to replenish utility reserves and fund capital infrastructure replacement and refurbishment.
Ordinance 1589 was presented as a first reading; the transcript of the Jan. 7 meeting records the presentation of the ordinance and its rate tables but does not record a final adoption vote. Next procedural steps (second reading or adoption) were not specified in the meeting minutes provided.
