City Council unanimously approved raising water and wastewater rates May 20. Rates for residents who use more than the base amount of 2,000 gallons per month will increase by 5 percent, Mayor Thom Farrell said. The increase will be imposed on the June billing cycle that residents received in May, he said. Council Member Sara Hutson said the rate for the first 2,000 gallons of use will remain the same. Farrell said the increase for a resident would be about $3 a month if his or her bill is around $60 to $70 monthly. Council Member Amy Pattillo said she was in favor of an increase because the city of Rollingwood is paying the city of Austin more for water services than Rollingwood receives from its residents’ payments. Council Member Jordan Scott said he was concerned about the increase because some Rollingwood residents are struggling to pay taxes. He said the Eanes ISD bond that was passed in May coupled with the possibility of new city fees for a water drainage system could make paying taxes difficult for some city residents. “I already have neighbors who can’t pay their taxes,” Scott said. “Each [increase] on its own makes perfect sense for why do it. But as a whole, we have some neighbors who need relief.” Hutson said most residents who are struggling with tax increases are not using more than 2,000 gallons of water monthly, and their rates will not increase. “I don’t want anybody to move out of Rollingwood because of a lack of being able to afford it,” Farrell said. “That would be a travesty, in my mind.”