Brenham water customers will see another bump in their bills as council members unanimously approved the implementation of the second of three pre-planned updates to the cityòòò½ÊÓƵ™s water rates during Thursdayòòò½ÊÓƵ™s regular session.
In February 2024, the city heard a proposal from NewGen Strategies and Solutions LLC CEO Chris Ecru, during which he implored the council to consider adjusting the cityòòò½ÊÓƵ™s water rate tariffs over the next few years, with the first increase taking effect in March last year.
òòò½ÊÓƵœThe utility should be self-supporting. Weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re not using taxes to support the utility. It is self-supporting through user rates and charges,òòò½ÊÓƵ Ekrut said at the time, as was reported by The Banner-Press on Feb. 20, 2024.
Also at that time, Mayor Atwood Kenjura warned those in attendance that regardless of what happens with the fees, the cityòòò½ÊÓƵ™s water utility rate would be rising òòò½ÊÓƵ“ and soon.
The increase in rates is part of the cityòòò½ÊÓƵ™s multi-faceted effort to overhaul its utilities òòò½ÊÓƵ“ especially water, wastewater and related services following the population growth spurt seen in the city from 2020-2023 and was recommended by NewGen as one of the ways to help facilitate the improvements listed in the cityòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Comprehensive Improvement Plan that was adopted in September 2019.
òòò½ÊÓƵœFor residential, NewGen advised an increase of 10.3 percent in March of [2024], 9.4 percent in March 2025 and 6.4 percent in March 2026,òòò½ÊÓƵ information in the article stated.
In an example, Ekrut said the current monthly charge for a residential user at 5,000 gallons per month from a three-quarter-inch meter will raise about $3 in 2024 and again in 2025, with a smaller jump in 2026. NewGen advised commercial rate increases at 25 percent in March 2024, 20 percent in March 2025 and 15.7 percent by March 2026.
During the March 21, 2024, regular council meeting, Brenham council members unanimously approved the passing of the first increase across the board for the water rates, effectively implementing the first of the three planned increases.
On Thursday, another vote in favor set things in motion for the implementation of the second of the three increases òòò½ÊÓƵ“ and at this time next year, the city plans to enact the third.
òòò½ÊÓƵœStaff is proposing the second of three annual water rate increases to recover higher costs, largely driven by the planned addition of the new deck for the water plant expansion and groundwater wells.
òòò½ÊÓƵœIncorporated in these water rate increases is a change in the residential, commercial, irrigation, fire hydrant and fire line water rate class that would take effect May 2025,òòò½ÊÓƵ Director of Water and Wastewater Bobby Keene Jr. said on Thursday.
òòò½ÊÓƵœThe 2025 study has shown that the new water rate increases will increase the cost of the new deck for the water plant expansion and groundwater wells.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Ward 6, At Large Councilmember Leah Cook asked Keene about the timing of the impact fees as they related to the scheduled rate increases, saying, òòò½ÊÓƵœIf we had enacted the impact fee(s) earlier, could it have offset as much as weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re having to increase the rates right now?òòò½ÊÓƵ
òòò½ÊÓƵœIòòò½ÊÓƵ™d say yes,òòò½ÊÓƵ Keene said in reply.
While no one from the city wants to increase rates, the decision is important to offsetting anticipated costs for upcoming projects and has been planned for over the last two years, Cook said.
òòò½ÊÓƵœI think weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re projecting like a 25 percent increase in residential [water rates] over three years,òòò½ÊÓƵ Kenjura said.
He added that, with some folks in Houston seeing their bills increase more than 100 percent, Brenhamòòò½ÊÓƵ™s rates are still some of the lowest around and that the increases were being done slowly and carefully to avoid a sudden spike in the local cost of living.
The second rate increase will take effect on May 1, 2025, and will supersede the rate changes put into effect last year on April 1, 2024, information from the city stated. The third increase, which was slated as the smallest of the three at a projected 6.4 percent, is anticipated to be reviewed by the city this time next year.
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