Water and sewer rates could soon more than double for San Juan
Bautista residents if the city council approves a plan to implement
the first increase in eight years in the next few months, according
to the vice-mayor.
San Juan Bautista – Water and sewer rates could soon more than double for San Juan Bautista residents if the city council approves a plan to implement the first increase in eight years in the next few months, according to the vice-mayor.
The city has lost about $1 million in revenues since 1997 because it has covered the increasing cost of water and sewer services by taking money out of the general fund, said Vice-Mayor Charles Geiger.
The city is in the initial stages of launching a nearly $8 million infrastructure rehabilitation project and needs to bring the water and sewer rates into accordance with the price for service, Geiger said. The city recently received a $3.8 million federal grant, which is being supplemented with $3.1 million from the San Benito County Water District. But San Juan must raise its rates to garner more than $1 million to contribute to the project.
While Geiger said a raise is necessary to bring the city up to par with the cost of service, the city council may not stop at one increase and could tack on another within the next year to supplement costs accrued with the upcoming water and sewer project.
“People complain that San Juan has bad pipes and we’re not doing anything about it. But we’ve been losing $250,000 a year. If we would have done this every year, we wouldn’t be in this problem,” Geiger said. “We decided its time to bite the bullet, and nobody likes to increase water rates but it has to be done.”
Currently, San Juan residents pay $8 for the first 4,000 gallons of water and $1 for every additional 1,000 gallons after that, Geiger said. The new plan would increase the base rate to $16 for the first 3,000 gallons, $2 for every 1,000 gallons from 3,000 to 8,000 gallons, and $3 per every thousand gallons over 8,000, Geiger said.
The average resident uses between 5,000 to 6,000 gallons of water every month, which means instead of paying between $8 to $10 a month, their bill will jump to $20 to $22 a month, Geiger said. Sewer rates will also be increased from a base charge of $33.75 to $54 a month.
In comparison, Hollister residents living in the Sunnyslope Water District pay an average water rate of $43 a month and $26.10 for sewer, according to director Bryan Yamaoka. The last increase residents saw was 5 percent for water service last December, he said.
Projected water and sewer service costs for 2005 are $750,000, Geiger said. With the rate increases, San Juan will garner $890,000 a year, which will provide a $140,000 cushion, enabling the city to pay back its general fund the nearly $1 million it lost within 10 years, Geiger said.
But before any rates are increased, the city council will hold a public meeting to give residents the chance to express their opinion about a potential increase, Geiger said. The meeting will be held June 21, and if the increase is approved, rates could rise by August.
“It’s going to cause a lot of people to think, ‘I don’t know, this is a big jump,'” he said. “But the truth is we have to pay for our service and things cost. It’s just like gasoline – we will have to be more conservative.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
