Purdy water, sewer bills to raise in July
June 19, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
Residents in Purdy can expect a jump in their water and sewer bills from the city in July. Purdy's City Council voted unanimously to raise rates to compensate for rising costs. The last time water and sewer rates were raised in the city was 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Currently, the city charges two different water rates for customers inside the city limits and outside the city limits. Water rates for the first 1,000 gallons is a $16.50 cost and each 1,000 gallons over 1,000 is $3.50 for customers inside the city limits. Outside the city limits, the rate is $35.75 for the first 1,000 gallons and $3.50 for each 1,000 gallons after that.
Sewer rates in the city are a $20 minimum for the first 1,000 gallons of water used and $5 for each additional 1,000. There are no sewer customers outside the city limits.
In all, the city has 379 sewer customers and 479 water customers with roughly 66 customers paying the minimum water bill each month, most of those estimated to be businesses.
City manager Debbie Redshaw presented information to the city council at the meeting on June 12 that in order to break even on water and sewer costs, the city needed to raise rates for water bills to be around $11 higher and sewer bills needed to be raised by around $36 per customer.
As a result, the city council members worked together to establish new rates in the city that went into effect starting with the bills customers will receive in July. New rates will be $25 for the first 1,000 gallons of water for in-limits residents and $45.75 for outside limits customers. After that first 1,000 gallons, inside customers will pay $5 for each 1,000 gallons and residents outside of the city will pay $10 for each 1,000 gallons after.
For sewer rates, the city is raising the minimum for the first 1,000 gallons to $30 and each additional 1,000 gallons will cost $10. Sewer bills will continue to be calculated using an average of water usage in January, February and March to prevent cost spikes based on watering gardens and other summer activities.
Trash rates on customers' bills will remain the same at $12.50 each month.
The jump will be large for customers, but city officials stand firm that there was no other option to get the city to break even on water and sewer.
Redshaw said, "We can't do incremental increases, because we don't have the funds to just pay for the difference as we raise them."
The council lamented the city should have implemented incremental increases for years instead of leaving rates steady for so long and putting the city in a bad financial situation on utilities.
Redshaw said, "We should have been doing this slowly, but now we can't."
Purdy mayor Bo Prock said the city needs to get on a schedule for small, annual changes after this first big jump in rates. He said, "We need to talk about raising these annually so this doesn't happen again."
When looking at the average bill in municipalities, usage is calculated at 5,000 gallons of usage. At 5,000 gallons of usage, Purdy's bill will change from the current cost of $70.50 for water and sewer for inside city limits customers to $115. With trash, the new bill, for 5,000 gallons of usage, will be $127.50.
For residents outside of the city limits, water bills will go from $49.75 to $85.75 for 5,000 gallons of usage.
In 2018, other Barry County cities' bills for 5,000 gallons of usage* are: Cassville $33.49 for water, $46.55 for sewer for a total of $80.04; Exeter - $33.75 for water, $41.00 for sewer for a total of $74.75; Monett - $24.52 for water, $27.95 for sewer for a total of $52.47 Seligman - $26.75 for water, $28.50 for sewer for a total of $55.25; Washburn - $54.00 for water, $28.33 for sewer for a total of $82.33; and Wheaton - $35.75 for water, $25.75 for sewer for a total of $61.50. *provided by the Missouri Public Utility Alliance
Charlea Estes-Jones
Residents in Purdy can expect a jump in their water and sewer bills from the city in July. Purdy's City Council voted unanimously to raise rates to compensate for rising costs. The last time water and sewer rates were raised in the city was 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Currently, the city charges two different water rates for customers inside the city limits and outside the city limits. Water rates for the first 1,000 gallons is a $16.50 cost and each 1,000 gallons over 1,000 is $3.50 for customers inside the city limits. Outside the city limits, the rate is $35.75 for the first 1,000 gallons and $3.50 for each 1,000 gallons after that.
Sewer rates in the city are a $20 minimum for the first 1,000 gallons of water used and $5 for each additional 1,000. There are no sewer customers outside the city limits.
In all, the city has 379 sewer customers and 479 water customers with roughly 66 customers paying the minimum water bill each month, most of those estimated to be businesses.
City manager Debbie Redshaw presented information to the city council at the meeting on June 12 that in order to break even on water and sewer costs, the city needed to raise rates for water bills to be around $11 higher and sewer bills needed to be raised by around $36 per customer.
As a result, the city council members worked together to establish new rates in the city that went into effect starting with the bills customers will receive in July. New rates will be $25 for the first 1,000 gallons of water for in-limits residents and $45.75 for outside limits customers. After that first 1,000 gallons, inside customers will pay $5 for each 1,000 gallons and residents outside of the city will pay $10 for each 1,000 gallons after.
For sewer rates, the city is raising the minimum for the first 1,000 gallons to $30 and each additional 1,000 gallons will cost $10. Sewer bills will continue to be calculated using an average of water usage in January, February and March to prevent cost spikes based on watering gardens and other summer activities.
Trash rates on customers' bills will remain the same at $12.50 each month.
The jump will be large for customers, but city officials stand firm that there was no other option to get the city to break even on water and sewer.
Redshaw said, "We can't do incremental increases, because we don't have the funds to just pay for the difference as we raise them."
The council lamented the city should have implemented incremental increases for years instead of leaving rates steady for so long and putting the city in a bad financial situation on utilities.
Redshaw said, "We should have been doing this slowly, but now we can't."
Purdy mayor Bo Prock said the city needs to get on a schedule for small, annual changes after this first big jump in rates. He said, "We need to talk about raising these annually so this doesn't happen again."
When looking at the average bill in municipalities, usage is calculated at 5,000 gallons of usage. At 5,000 gallons of usage, Purdy's bill will change from the current cost of $70.50 for water and sewer for inside city limits customers to $115. With trash, the new bill, for 5,000 gallons of usage, will be $127.50.
For residents outside of the city limits, water bills will go from $49.75 to $85.75 for 5,000 gallons of usage.
In 2018, other Barry County cities' bills for 5,000 gallons of usage* are: Cassville $33.49 for water, $46.55 for sewer for a total of $80.04; Exeter - $33.75 for water, $41.00 for sewer for a total of $74.75; Monett - $24.52 for water, $27.95 for sewer for a total of $52.47 Seligman - $26.75 for water, $28.50 for sewer for a total of $55.25; Washburn - $54.00 for water, $28.33 for sewer for a total of $82.33; and Wheaton - $35.75 for water, $25.75 for sewer for a total of $61.50. *provided by the Missouri Public Utility Alliance
