RIDGEWAY – With little fanfare and no discussion, Town Council passed first reading on Aug. 13 of an ordinance to amend water and sewer rates that had jumped more than 10 times as high as necessary last June.
“I don’t mind admitting there was a mistake made,” Councilman Russ Brown told The Voice in June. “It was an honest mistake. It’s only fair to be consistent with what Winnsboro does.”
Brown’s comments came on the heels of the revelation in the June 19 edition of The Voice that Council’s across the board rate increase of $1 per 1,000 gallons dramatically exceeded the .098 cents per 1,000 gallons increase passed onto Ridgeway by the Town of Winnsboro.
During their July meeting, Council voted 3-1 to revise those rates to make them consistent with Winnsboro’s increase. Councilman Doug Porter, who was absent from the Aug. 13 meeting, cast the lone dissenting vote.
“We have reluctantly raised (water and sewer rates) when we have had to,” Porter said during the July 9 meeting. “Most of our city revenue comes from water and sewer. And we have capital projects we need to address. I think we would have asked a little bit more than that. We are losing ground to (water supplier Winnsboro).”
According to the ordinance, which will get its second reading Sept. 10, minimum monthly residential water rates inside the town limits will now be $15.10 for the first 1,000 gallons (as opposed to $16 approved in June) and $5.17 for each additional 1,000 gallons (vs. $6.07 approved in June).
Residential water customers outside the town limits will be charged a monthly minimum of $20.10 for the first 1,000 gallons (vs. $21 in June) and $6.42 for each additional 1,000 gallons ($7.32 in June).
Commercial water customers within the town limits will now face a minimum monthly charge of $18.10 for the first 1,000 gallons ($19 in June) and $5.17 for each additional 1,000 gallons ($6.07 in June). Commercial water customers outside the town limits will pay a minimum monthly charge of $23.10 for the first 1,000 gallons ($24 approved in June) and $6.42 for each additional 1,000 gallons (vs. $7.32 approved in June).
Residential sewer rates for customers inside the town limits would now be $12.10 for the first 1,000 gallons (vs. $13 approved in June) and $4.52 for each additional 1,000 gallons (vs. $5.42 in June). For residential sewer customers outside the town limits, those rates would be $13.10 for the first 1,000 gallons (vs. $14 in June) and $5.67 for each additional 1,000 gallons (vs. $6.57 approved last June).
Commercial sewer rates inside the town limits would be amended to $16.10 for the first 1,000 gallons (vs. $17 in June) and $4.67 for each additional 1,000 gallons (vs. $5.57 in June). Outside the town limits, those rates would now be $19.10 for the first 1,000 gallons ($20 in June) and $5.67 for each additional 1,000 gallons (vs. $6.57 approved in June).
According to the ordinance, the new rates would take effect in September.
