Huge sewer and water fee hikes loom in Riverbank

City leaders on Tuesday chose to pursue rate hikes boosting sewer bills 81 percent and water, more than 56 percent, in steps over the next five years.

The City Council is expected on June 9 to select a date kicking off a 45-day period during which residents could protest the increases, culminating in an August public hearing and final vote.

If approved, the fixed component of water pricing would spring from $14.65 per month to $22.81 by 2020, plus a charge based on the amount of water used. Monthly sewer bills would increase from $20.15 to $36.55.

Water and sewer bills haven’t been changed since 2010 and 2008, respectively, “out of concern for the people paying it,” City Manager Jill Anderson said Wednesday. “But we have to be fiscally responsible. So after a long delay of not having increases, we’re faced with looking at a larger-than-ideal increase at one time, to catch up.”

The council also voted 4-1, with Leanne Jones Cruz dissenting, for a traffic signal instead of a roundabout at Claribel Road and Roselle Avenue. Stanislaus County officials would prefer a roundabout but will defer to the city, whose leaders agreed to pay about $6,000 a year for electricity and signal light maintenance.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Huge sewer and water fee hikes loom in Riverbank."