Monterey Approves Water & Sewer Increase

The Monterey Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted Monday night to increase water and sewer rates by five percent.

The board approved the first ordinance reading 6-2. Aldemen Alex Garcia and JJ Reels voted against the increase. Monterey has not raised rates since 2017.

“If you look at the cost of the living over the past three years, it’s actually gone up a little bit more than what this would be increasing it to,” Alderman Nathan Walker said. “I know it’s difficult to think about considering the current circumstance (with COVID-19).”

Residents inside the city using 2-thousand gallons or less would pay $16.75 per month, up from $16.50. For each additional 1,000 gallons, the base charge would be $5.80, up from $5.50.

Alderman James Foster asked how many times the town had raised rates in the last ten years.

“People paying too many taxes, that’s the number one thing I get out of the citizens of Monterey,” Foster said. “I’m not against raising taxes if we really do need to.”

Vice Mayor Starlett Wessels said she wanted to avoid the state auditing water rates and raising them inordinately.

“When the comptroller comes in and they look at it, the typically go up 15 to 20 percent in one felled swoop,” Wessels said. “By doing this, it will keep us in a position where they won’t come in, audit the water rates and arbitrarily raise them.”

The board discussed removing a $2 administrative fee on customers who paid in person but did not have their bill. Several aldermen said bills were not being processed correctly by the US POstal Service because of bill size. That amendment failed.

The board also approved a $4.7 million budget for the new fiscal year. The board will hold a second reading on the budget May 19.