RIDGEWAY – Only two council members and the mayor were on hand for the Ridgeway Town Council Special Called Meeting on June 30 for the final reading of the 2023-24 Fiscal Year budget and a vote to increase in the cost of Service to All Classes of Customers for water and sewer service.
While a public hearing was held for the budget, the budget had not yet been posted, and no one spoke at the public hearing. The budget was approved 3-0 and has since been posted.
As posted in the approved budget, the total general income from budgeted accounts like business licenses, store rents and $35,000 for budgeted Ridgeway Police Department ticket revenue, equaled $292,123. Income fees from the Water & Sewer Fund totaled $494,074.
Council approved an Amendment to Ordinance 3-1001, the Water and Sewer Ordinance of Ridgeway, to increase the cost of service to all classes of customers by .12 cents per 1,000 gallons of water, effective July 1, 2023.
Mayor Heath Cookendorfer explained that while there is actually no current increase in the cost of water services from Winnsboro, this .12 increase corrects an error from the prior year where the increase in water cost (from Winnsboro) was not recouped by Ridgeway.
The .12 increases the monthly minimum residential water charge for Ridgeway customers within town limits to $17.82 for the first 1000 gallons and $6.92 for each 1000 gallons overage. Customers outside the town limits will now be charged $23.12 for the first 1000 gallons and $8.22 for each 1000 gallons overage.
This increases the residential sewer rates for residential customers within town limits to $14.59 for the first 1000 gallons and $6.21 for each 1000 gallons overage. Residential customers outside the Town limits will now be charged $15.86 for the first 1000 gallons and $7.29 for each 1000 gallons overage.
Commercial water rates for customers within town limits increased to $21.22 for the first 1000 gallons and $6.92 for each 1000 gallons overage. Commercial customers outside the Town limits will now be charged $26.62 for the first 1000 gallons and $8.22 for each 1000 gallons overage.
Commercial sewer rates for customers within town limits increased to $18.64 for the first 1000 gallons and $6.21 for each 1000 gallons overage. Commercial sewer customers outside the Town limits will now be charged $21.89 for the first 1000 gallons and $7.29 for each 1000 gallons overage.
Reconnect fee (for non-payment) went from $0 to $80. Tamper fees went from $75 to $200 which brings them in line with actual costs. Cookendorfer attributed these increases to the increased cost of parts.
The non-bore tap fee for water in Town ¾” goes from $500 to $1653 Water out of Town ¾” went from $800 to $1953. Water out of Town 1” goes from $900 to $2000.
Budgeted income from the just-passed fiscal year 2023-2024 budget is $176,597 from sewer fees and $317,477 from water fees for a total of $494,074 into the Water and Sewer Fund.
Cookendorfer estimated that the 2022 Ridgeway audit will be completed by mid-July.
The next regularly scheduled meeting will be July 13, 2023.
