St. Charles residents to pay more for water, sewer beginning this summer

St. Charles residents will soon pay more for water and sewer service.

Council members approved 6% increases for city's water and sewer service at the May 1 meeting. The higher rates will be reflected on the June bills.

The motion passed in an 8-2 vote, with council members Rita Payleitner and Steve Webber voting "no."

According to the city staff, the increase in a typical utility bill will be about $8 a month.

Rate adjustments for water and sewer service are needed to fund capital improvements to the city's water and wastewater systems, according to a news release from the city

The city raised its water rate by 12% last year.

At an April 17 government operations committee meeting, the city staff recommended another 12% water rate increase, which would bring in about $800,000 more annually.

Payleitner, Webber and council member David Pietryla were openly against the increase during last month's committee meeting. Pietryla made the motion to reduce the increase from 12% to 6%.

With her final vote at her last city council meeting on May 1 before stepping down, Payleitner voted against the 6% increase.

"It's time more residents find direct financial benefits in their pockets from all our sales tax on liquor, cannabis, whatever," Payleitner said. "I would like to see that happen. Hence my 'no' vote tonight."

Finance Director Bill Hannah said the need for the increase comes from almost a decade of deferring improvement projects to relieve residents' financial burden.

"It's a problem that cannot be solved with one-time revenue sources," Hannah said.

Hannah said with $80 million to $100 million in necessary infrastructure improvement projects on the horizon, the city is at a point where it cannot afford to put off any more rate increases.

For information about rates, visit codebook.stcharlesil.gov/title-13 or call (630) 377-4426.