By MATTHEW SOCKOL
Correspondent
SAYREVILLE — An ordinance that will increase water rates in Sayreville was adopted by the Borough Council.
On Jan. 25, the ordinance was adopted in a 4-3 vote. As with its introduction during the Jan. 11 meeting, the council was split on the ordinance. Councilman Pat Lembo, Councilwoman Mary Novak and Councilman Art Rittenhouse voted in favor of raising the water rates while Council President Daniel Buchanan, Councilman Steven Grillo and Councilwoman Victoria Kilpatrick were opposed.
The deciding vote was cast by Mayor Kennedy O’Brien, who supported the ordinance.
Beginning Feb. 1, the water rates are increased by 5 percent. With the quarterly payment for water prior to the ordinance’s adoption at $23.95, it rises to $25.15. The rates will then be increased by another 5 percent on Jan. 1, 2017, bringing the quarterly payment to $26.40.
According to Business Administrator Dan Frankel, Sayreville has the third lowest water rates in Middlesex County.
Issues surrounding Sayreville’s water rates date to the council’s June 22 meeting when Chief Financial Officer Wayne Kronowski projected a deficit of $800,000 in the water and sewer budget because the borough exceeded its budget for water repairs during the year. Kronowski recommended the rates be increased to cover the projected deficit. Two ordinances concerning the rate increase were previously introduced at the July 27 and Nov. 23 meetings, but the council did not vote on them.
Buchanan voted against raising the water rates because the ordinance reappeared after the borough’s Nov. 3 election.
“This was brought up last year right before the election, and then it disappeared,” said Buchanan. “Then it popped up afterwards. It seemed political.”
Novak argued the ordinance was necessary to avoid running a deficit. She noted that the borough had already lost money because of a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulation in 2015 that required Sayreville to remove traces of iron from its water.
“Most of our water was already treated water from Middlesex,” said Novak. “Now this is all surface water. We have this iron sludge that the DEP will no longer allow us to just take, let it dry out and then take it to the landfill. We must now truck all of this to the sewer-treatment plant. That cost us an additional half a million dollars last year alone.”
According to Novak, the ordinance would help the borough pay for breaks in the main water lines, which occurred repeatedly in 2015.
“We had a tremendous amount of breaks,” she said. “And we have to pay the bills. If we don’t raise the water rates, then the taxpayers are going to have to pay these bills.”
Lembo also voiced his support for the ordinance.
“After meeting with Wayne and with (Borough Engineer) Dave Samuel, it becomes clear that (increasing the rates) is absolutely needed to maintain the aging infrastructure,” said Lembo.
Near the end of the meeting, O’Brien emphasized that raising the water rates was right for Sayreville.
“Sometimes in leadership, you just do the right thing and it works out,” said O’Brien. “Sometimes you hide, but the best thing to do is the right thing. And as long as you do the right thing consistently, you can put your head on the pillow at night and not lose any sleep.”