York OKs water, sewer rate increase

The York City Council approved a water and sewer rate increase that will cost typical customers about $5 a month more and a budget with no increase in property taxes.

The $7.1 million general fund budget and $3.4 million water and sewer budget received final approval from the council Tuesday, after a public hearing during which no one spoke.

The city’s budget year begins Oct. 1.

Councilwoman Denise Lowry, the only council member to vote against the budgets, questioned earlier this month whether the water and sewer rate structure is fair. She noted that it has the same base rate and usage fee for residents and businesses.

City Manager Charles Helms told council members he will review the commercial accounts and report back later this year, probably at the November meeting.

Helms said he will review how those rates might be adjusted to address the concerns raised by Lowry.

The council gave final approval to a 5 percent hike in water and sewer rates and a $3 increase in the $21 monthly base rate. That would increase the monthly bill for a typical customer who uses 5,000 gallons of water by $4.80, Helms told the council.

The $7.1 million general fund budget, which also was approved, includes no increase in property taxes or fees.

Mayor Eddie Lee said all council members need to understand how any changes in the water and sewer rate structure would affect residents and businesses.

“We now have water from a reliable source,” Lee said, referring to the city’s 2012 agreement to purchase water from Rock Hill. “And we need to figure out exactly what is the fairest way to bill individuals and businesses.”

In a meeting earlier this month, Lowry had questioned whether businesses and other large-volume water users such as schools should bear a greater burden of the cost than residential users.

Helms said many cities base rates on the size of the water meter.

A three-quarter-inch meter is the typical size for residential customers, but schools and many businesses have larger meters. The York school district and the Moss Justice Center are the city’s largest water customers, Helms said.

The city operating budget includes a new firefighter, to be hired in January, which will improve overnight staffing at the York Fire Department. No other new positions are budgeted.

The budget also includes an annual 2 percent cost of living raise for employees, he said.

Helms said the water and sewer rate increase was needed because of increases in the cost of bond repayments, for water and sewer improvements. He also said electricity costs are higher.

He said the proposed fee increases would generate around $220,000 in revenue to cover those added costs.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 1:02 PM with the headline "York OKs water, sewer rate increase."