WESTFIELD – The City Council voted last night to hike sewer rates for residents, businesses, and senior citizens to generate more revenue needed to maintain and expand the city’s aging sewer infrastructure.
The council approved a rate schedule recommended by the Water Commission which includes annual rate increases for the next six years.
The current residential rate of $283 will increase to $383 in the 2021 year. The 2016 rate will increase by $20 to $303, about a 7 percent hike, by $19 in 2017 ($322), 2018 ($341), and 2019 ($360), then by $12 in 2020 ($372) and $11 in 2021 ($383).
The commercial and industrial rate, which is assessed upon the amount of water used by that company, will increase over six years from the current rate of $4.31 per 1,000 gallons to $5.33 per 1,000 gallons.
The sewer rate increase was approved by a vote of 8-5, while an amendment offered by At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty to substantially increase the senior citizen rate was approved on a 9-4 vote.
The original rate proposal would have raised the senior citizen discount rate from the current $37.50 to $47.80 over six years, but Flaherty’s motion amended that to an increase of $70.30 for 2016, $82.40 for 2017, $94.30 for 2018, $106 in 2019, $117 in 2020 and $127,80 in 2021.
Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul, Sr., said that only 1,196 residents are currently enrolled in the senior discount program and that the rate of $37.50 did not cover the cost of maintaining the sewer infrastructure which averages to $100 per residential unit.
Paul said the additional revenue generated by the rate hike is needed to bolster “infrastructure that is failing in every ward.”
“The sewer system is inadequate,” he said. “We have the lowest sewer rates in the region. This is a serious issue.”
Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean said that some members have supported eliminating the senior discount rate entirely, but that in the past there has never by sufficient political will to approve that motion.
“We could never get rid of the senior discounted rate in the past,” Crean said. “It’s an unfair rate. It is unfair that other people and businesses have been subsidizing seniors to that extent.”
“When I first came onto the (City) Council, it was God forbid any senior rate increase, that’s why we’re in this situation we’re in today,” Crean said.
Paul said the revenue generated by the rate increases will also pay for bonds to expand the present sewer system to other areas of the city, to residents whose septic systems are failing.
“This is a fantastic plan,” Paul said. “The bonds to expand the system will be paid out of these rates.”
At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean II said that sewer rates have increased only 8 percent over the past 13 years, increases that have not generated sufficient revenue to operate the system.
