A 5% increase to water rates and 3% to wastewater was adopted, or about $2.09 per month for the average residential consumer.
An increase of 5% per month for electric utility rates, or an average increase of $5.31, was also adopted, as were increases to drainage ($1.10) and solid waste collection rates ($1.03).
City staff estimate the total increase in an average monthly residential utility bill would be $9.53 monthly, or $114.36 annually.
Council Members Shane Scott and Saul Gonzales voted against each increase.
The council also adopted a property tax rate increase from $0.593 to $0.603 per $100 of property valuation. That represents an anticipated increase in city funding by $655,000, which is already reserved to pay for the salaries and benefits of four new 911 telecommunicators, three traffic officers, three leased vehicles, supplies, uniforms and other staffing expenses.
That increase meant the council was able to adopt a budget of $260,468,834 for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
All of these items were adopted on a second reading—the first being at the Sept. 7 meeting—and almost all debate occurred at earlier council meetings.
