Naperville eyes utility hikes to help keep up with system maintenance needs

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to show the correct dates for the budget workshops.

Naperville residents could be paying more for water and electricity next year as the city continues improvements to the two utilities.

The city’s preliminary capital improvement plan budget for 2025 includes $183 million for major projects, including continued work replacing aging water mains and underground electric cables, and the proposed utility rate hikes. City council members are expected to vote this month on the proposed increases, which could add $8 to the average monthly electric bill and $9 to the average water bill in 2025.

Money collected from electric and water bills help pay for improvements to the utilities, officials said.

“We can’t kick this can down the road anymore,” Councilwoman Jennifer Bruzan Taylor said of the need to replace aging water mains.

The $183 million in proposed capital projects will be part of city’s overall budget for 2025. A draft budget will be released Oct. 11. Council members will have two budget workshops on Oct. 22 and Nov. 12 before voting on the budget in December.

Council members discussed spending on major projects at a recent budget meeting. The $183 million proposed for major projects is roughly 26% higher than the $145 million budgeted for 2024.

Though officials have identified $183 million in projects, Naperville City Manager Doug Krieger said the city has typically not spent the entire amount each year due to the complex nature of the projects. This year, for example, Krieger anticipates the city will spend $83 million of the $145 million budgeted for projects.

For 2025, the city has identified several projects, including expanding the North Aurora Road underpass from two lanes to four, widening 248th Street from 95th to 103rd streets, upgrades to the city’s oldest fire stations, improvements to the Springbrook water treatment facility, replacing aging water lines and renovations to the police department locker room.

Krieger said the city’s aging streets, utilities and facilities will be the focus of the capital improvement program in the coming years.

“Over the next several decades capital investment is going to be driven by the need to replace and maintain those assets installed during our highest growth period in addition to the oldest assets that were the foundation of our community,” Krieger said.