Government
BY GRACIE WARHURST
Georgetown ocials recommended changing water utility billing to be based more on usage than a xed base charge during a March 10 City Council workshop. This would allow the city to address rising water infrastructure and supply costs, while considering aordability for customers. What it means Under the new plan, low-volume water users would see smaller bill increases by 2030, and high-volume users would experience higher costs based on the new pricing tiers. By implementing billing changes, the city would reduce the total number of increases for the average City considers changes to water utility billing
residential customer and still be able to cover its xed costs, Georgetown Chief Financial Ocer Leigh Wallace said. “When we shift costs to volumetric rates, those are the users that are driving peak demand and our need for infrastructure,” Wallace said. “If we made a change to this policy then the base rates could be increased more gradually, and the volumetric rates could be increased at a more accelerated pace.” Why it matters Right now, residential water rates are projected to increase 9% per year for the next ve years, according to city documents. This is largely due to city water costs—including debt payments, new infrastructure and water procurement—projected to grow from $64.2 million in 2025 to $138 million in 2030, Wallace said. The new policy would increase base charges by 4% each year for the next ve years, and volumetric charges would increase by 14% in the same time frame, according to city documents. “We’re not saying water bills are decreasing, but they will increase at a slower rate,” Wallace said.
Sample water bills The following shows a customer’s estimated bill in 2030 based on how much water they use per month under the current and proposed rates.
$300 $600 $900 $1.2K $1.5K Current rate
Proposed rate
$0
60K
2K
15K
Water usage (gallons)
SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWNCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What they’re saying Council members supported the proposed billing changes because of their focus on aordability, especially for those who use less water. “We’re putting more of the proportion of cost on the higher users and less on the ... folks who are using it just for primarily domestic use,” District 5 council member Kevin Pitts said.
If you’re on Medicare or turning 65 soon, this free webinar will help you understand your supplement options — in plain English, with no pressure. Hosted by Anna Harris Local, Licensed Independent Medicare Broker FREE WEBINAR: Medicare Medigap Plans Made Simple
ONLINE
FREE
Sign up at annaharrisinsurance.com
Anna Harris Licensed Sales Agent Georgetown/Austin Office: 737-315-3660
www.annaharrisinsurance.com | anna@annaharrisinsurance.com We do not oer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans in your area that we do oer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-Medicare to get information on all of your options.
9
GEORGETOWN EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook