Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hays council delays vote on aquifer district fee after debate over rate structure
Summary
Council discussed options to recoup the city’s shortfall on payments to the Barton Springs–Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, including doubling per‑thousand‑gallon fees or adopting a flat monthly charge. Members requested analysis and tabled the decision until August.
Treasurer Harvey Davis told the council the city paid about $16,000 to the Barton Springs–Edwards Aquifer Conservation District in FY25 but collected only about $5,900 from customers under the current per‑thousand‑gallon assessment (0.17¢ per thousand). Councilors debated whether to raise the fee, roll the cost into a flat monthly charge for customers, or adjust charges by permit and consumption.
"We're paying a lot more to the district than we're collecting," Treasurer Davis said, explaining the shortfall and urging the council to consider options that would recoup costs with the least consumer confusion. Several council members asked staff to prepare a rate-impact analysis — including formulas showing per-customer effects — and the council agreed to table the item and revisit it at the August meeting rather than set a fee at tonight's meeting.
Council staff will return with calculations comparing (a) a doubled consumption-based fee, (b) a flat monthly fee per account, and (c) per-permit fee options so councilors can weigh equity and administrative simplicity before voting.
