After two days of budget deliberations, Mayor and Council have proposed an overall 6.51% rate increase for the District’s water, sewer and electrical utilities, effective January 1, 2025.
The rate increase would see a typical single-family home in Summerland pay $17.25 per month more for utilities than they did in 2024.
The proposed increases are broken down as follows:
Electrical – $8.31 per month, or a 5.66% increase to the electrical budget with the main contributor being a 5.3% Fortis bulk rate increase.
Water – $5.97 per month, or a 7% increase to the water budget and an additional 1% increase delayed until September 1, 2025 to offset financial impacts during the peak summer months. The increase is driven largely by escalating prices for chemicals and coagulants needed for treating drinking water.
Sewer – $2.97 per month, or an 8.08% increase to the sanitary sewer budget with the main contributor being debt payments for the construction of a new primary clarifier at the wastewater treatment plant.
The three utility budgets were considered by Council at committee-of-the-whole meetings on Oct 30 and 31 and will be presented in detail to the pubic at a virtual Open House on Tues, Nov 19, 2024 starting at 5:00pm. The Open House will include a question-and-answer period. Pre-registration is not required; members of the public are asked to follow the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88426984651?pwd=p3HaVfxSAIF7y2CiKZUaegIHz8SGO2.1
Should you be prompted, the meeting ID is: 884 2698 4651 and the passcode is: 536407.
Council will consider public feedback to the proposed budgets and debate utility rate bylaws at the December 17 regular council meeting.
Quote:
“Rate increases are needed to keep up with operational and capital costs as well as reserve contributions to help with infrastructure renewal, including the replacement of a bioreactor for sewage treatment, burying power lines under Wharton Street, and separating treated and irrigation water mains under a key section of Victoria Road. It’s a Council priority to invest in core infrastructure and the proposed 2025 utility budgets will allow us to continue to reliably provide these essential services.”
~ Mayor Doug Holmes