Post by Max on Dec 6, 2007 23:12:27 GMT -3
Posted By Denis St. Pierre
Updated 10 hours ago
The average household water bill in Greater Sudbury, which broke the $1,000 mark this year, will rise by at least 5.4 per cent in 2008.
A budget proposal to be reviewed by city council today calls for a minimum increase to water rates of 5.4 per cent next year, with an option to boost the hike to 6.4 per cent to pay for various improvements to the water and sewer system.
For the last several years, water rate increases have been roughly double the inflation rate.
If council adopts the 5.4-per-cent hike for 2008, there will have been a compounded increase in water rates of about 46 per cent over a six-year period.
Water rates rose by 4.9 per cent this year, which according to the city means the average homeowner could expect to pay $1,008 for water in 2007. Combined with property taxes, the average homeowner faced a total municipal bill of about $3,300 this year, or about 10.5 per cent more than 2006.
A 5.4-per-cent increase in water rates in 2008 will boost the average residential water bill by $54, to $1,062 annually, according to city staff estimates.
The proposed increase for 2008 would raise a total of $23.3 million, compared to $22.2 million this year.
Greater Sudbury has had the highest water rates in the province for years, due to a council policy adopted in 2001 that calls for the rates be calculated to cover the cost of operating the water and sewer system.
"Council established a rate structure policy that provides for the full recovery of both water and wastewater costs," including a reserve fund to pay for future system upgrading, states the city budget report prepared for council.
Many other municipalities have significantly lower rates because they cover part of the cost of their water and sewer systems through the property tax levy.
Updated 10 hours ago
The average household water bill in Greater Sudbury, which broke the $1,000 mark this year, will rise by at least 5.4 per cent in 2008.
A budget proposal to be reviewed by city council today calls for a minimum increase to water rates of 5.4 per cent next year, with an option to boost the hike to 6.4 per cent to pay for various improvements to the water and sewer system.
For the last several years, water rate increases have been roughly double the inflation rate.
If council adopts the 5.4-per-cent hike for 2008, there will have been a compounded increase in water rates of about 46 per cent over a six-year period.
Water rates rose by 4.9 per cent this year, which according to the city means the average homeowner could expect to pay $1,008 for water in 2007. Combined with property taxes, the average homeowner faced a total municipal bill of about $3,300 this year, or about 10.5 per cent more than 2006.
A 5.4-per-cent increase in water rates in 2008 will boost the average residential water bill by $54, to $1,062 annually, according to city staff estimates.
The proposed increase for 2008 would raise a total of $23.3 million, compared to $22.2 million this year.
Greater Sudbury has had the highest water rates in the province for years, due to a council policy adopted in 2001 that calls for the rates be calculated to cover the cost of operating the water and sewer system.
"Council established a rate structure policy that provides for the full recovery of both water and wastewater costs," including a reserve fund to pay for future system upgrading, states the city budget report prepared for council.
Many other municipalities have significantly lower rates because they cover part of the cost of their water and sewer systems through the property tax levy.