City Water, Trash Rates Set To Increase 3%

The city will change the way it determines how much to increase water, sewer and sanitation rates each year if the city council approves an ordinance up for debate on Monday.

Under the new ordinance, the rates would go up by the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, but would be capped at 3 percent. In the past, that formula only applied to commercial trash pickup rates.

The cap would kick in right away: The CPI for the Tampa-St. Pete area for the first half of 2008 hit 3.8 percent, so rates would go up 3 percent this year.

The monthly fee for residential solid waste pickup, currently at $16.09, would be exempt from the increase for at least one year.

If the ordinance is passed:

•The current minimum monthly water charge for up to 3,000 gallons of water would go from $16.25 to $19.42.

•The monthly charge for every 1,000 gallons between 3,001 gallons and 8,000 gallons would go from $1.80 to $2.15.

•The charge for every 1,000 gallons of water beyond 8,000 gallons would go from $2.40 to $2.87.

•The minimum monthly charge for sewer would go from $18.50 to $22.11.

• The range of charges for commercial garbage service, which is based on frequency of pickup and size of the bin, would be $78.77 to $873.27. The current range is $72.72 to $806.18.

Mayor David Pugh Jr. said he likes the idea of capping the rate increases at 3 percent. He said he has reservations, however, about enacting rate hikes during what he called the current "economic crisis" facing the country today.

He acknowledged the city was able to cut the millage rate this year, and the proposed utilities increase is relatively small. And he also conceded the city has to be as aggressive as possible to make infrastructure improvements to its aging water and sewer systems.

But Pugh cited rising costs in other areas that cause a collective strain on budgets and give him pause.

"Every little bit adds up," he said. "The more we add on, the harder it is for individuals to survive through the hard times."

The city projects to bring in about $3.6 million in utilities revenue this year and has allocated about $2.8 million for infrastructure improvement projects. Among them is some $1.2 million to replace old water meters with new ones that can be read by remote control.

The city projects to have about $1.1 million in unallocated utilities fund monies that could be used in case of emergencies and carried forward if the coming year goes smoothly, Finance Director Steve Baumgartner said.

The city council meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 201 N. Howell Ave.