Jefferson residents are reminded that a rate increase for one of the utilities will start appearing on billing statements next month.

City Administrator Scott Peterson says water rates are going up by five percent on everyone’s water service, with the first payments with those increases to begin in January. The Council voted 4-1 to raise the rate percentage to five percent, with Council member Chad Sloan as the one “no” vote due to the financial hardships that some people have and maybe cannot afford a large rate increase. Peterson points out that a utility is meant to be self-sustaining with operational costs, as well as saving for future projects.

“And the fact of the matter is it costs ‘x’ number of dollars to provide that service and those costs are then paid by the rate payers. But the City does want to be just extremely mindful of those rates and knowing that you’re doing the best you can to prepare what the future might bring also.”

Peterson goes into more detail about the importance of having some funding for larger-scale projects for the water department.

“As we think about our planning for the future we really want to be proactive, especially on our utilities, about being able to knowing that we’re saving some money for these large, large, large capital investments that occur sometime in the future. We have been increasing rate periodically and it’s done to assure that the city can be in the best position possible as we look at a capital project in the future.”     

Peterson adds that those projects are outlined in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan. Anyone with questions about the rate increases can contact City Hall at 515-386-3111.