By CECILIA BROWN

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Public hearings and commission votes will be held on proposed ordinances for water, sewer and stormwater rate increases at Tuesday’s Marquette City Commission meeting.

Under the adopted fiscal year 2020 budget, water utility rate-related revenues are proposed to increase by 12.25%; sewer rate-related revenues are proposed to increase by 11.5% and the proposed stormwater rate-related revenues are proposed to increase by 15.25%, according to public hearing notices.

This means an average customer using 4,000 gallons per month would have the water portion of their bill increase from $36.59 to $41.07 per month; the sewer portion of the bill would increase from $58.20 to $64.75 per month and the stormwater bill would increase from $4.78 to $5.51 per month, according to city documents.

For all three utilities combined, an average customer would have an increase of $11.76 a month, bringing the average total monthly bill to $111.33.

These rate increases “are necessary to keep a balanced budget associated with the adopted FY 2020 budget” and to keep the respective water, sewer and stormwater funds solvent, city notes state. The rates recommended in the 2020 budget are those recommended in a multi-year plan by the city’s utility rate consultant, Raftelis.

It’s the second year in a row rates have increased as part of a five-year plan developed by Raftelis for the city.

Rates for stormwater and water were raised by the same percentages last year. While sewer rates increased by 25% last year, the proposed sewer rate increase for fiscal year 2020 is 11.5%, city officials said previously.

The proposed water rate increase is projected to raise an additional $581,000 in the city’s water fund, while the sewer rate increase is expected to raise $706,000 and the stormwater rate increase is projected to raise $228,000 in the respective funds.

If approved, the proposed rate increases would go into effect Dec. 1.

For more information, visit marquettemi.gov.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal.net.