Meaford residents being forewarned that their water and sewer rates are likely going up again this year.
Treasurer David Kennedy says he’s going to recommend an increase of 2.5 percent in both the fixed rate and the consumption rate for all residential and commercial customers.
Kennedy says he realizes that’s on top of stiff increases last year but that just brought them even.
He says Meaford was dipping into reserves to balance the water and sewer budget and that has to stop.
This year, he says, its time to get some money back into reserves to pay for several large projects looming on the horizon.
He says the municipality will have to repaint the water tower because of provincial concerns with lead — and that will cost more than half a million dollars.
Kennedy says they also need 2 million dollars to build the St. Vincent Water Booster Stations however they are receiving two-thirds government funding for that one.
He says they need about 760 thousand dollars to extend water and sewer lines to the east end of Highway 26 — and its going to cost 650 thousand just for the design work on the waste water treatment plant.
Kennedy says the increase in consumption will be marginal at about 2 dollars more a month but customers do have control over that one.
He says the one they can’t change is the fixed rate which is the cost to the municipality to get the water to residents’ homes.
Kennedy is hoping for a recommendation out of Tuesday’s special budget meeting to bring it before council for approval March 8th.