During a special meeting tonight, the Oak Ridge City Council will again consider significant increases in the city’s water and sewer rates.
Council members postponed a decision during their regular April 9 meeting to allow the public more time to study the most recent proposed rates.
The most recent proposal calls for raising total water and sewer rates between 28 percent to 35 percent, depending upon a variety of factors, including the number of total gallons used. There would be a minimum monthly increase of $7 for the first 2,000 gallons of water and sewer, but the increases could be much larger for bigger customers.
Council will consider those rate hikes during a special meeting at 7 p.m. today in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 S. Tulane Ave.
Also on the agenda is a special report by Linda M. Daugherty of the University of Tennessee on the need for a new Oak Ridge Senior Center.
If approved by Council tonight, the water and sewer rate hikes would first go into effect May 1, and the rates would rise again in 2013.
The city staff has said the increases are necessary in order to maintain adequate cash reserves and also pay for maintenance and capital improvement projects, including those required by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency order that requires Oak Ridge to repair all sewer system overflows by 2015.
kay williamson says
I have a question, how long are these rates going to effect us?? Will they go back down in a few years???
John Huotari says
My understanding is that Oak Ridge officials expect the new rates to allow the utilities to operate “in the black” through 2013. During last week’s Council meeting, city officials said the rates may have to be looked at again in 2014. They didn’t say whether the rates might then go up or down.