BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
MILLTOWN — To keep up with the rising market costs of water and sewer demands, Councilman Richard Revolinsky called the need to raise the water and sewer rates in Milltown this year “a necessary evil.”
The Borough Council voted in favor of amending the water and sewer rate ordinances at a meeting on April 17 to reflect 10 percent increases to the rates, which have not increased since 2010.
Residential users, local schools and churches will pay $227.23 per year in quarterly installments for sewer costs. The users pay in addition to the minimum rate, an additional $3.16 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed.
All other users, including, but not limited to, commercial and industrial users, will also pay $227.23 per year in quarterly installments. The users pay in addition to the minimum rate, an additional $3.16 per 1,000 gallons for the first 50,000 gallons of water consumed and $4.42 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed for any amount in excess of 50,000 gallons.
For water costs, the minimum quarterly amount of water consumption charges is $47.14 for a maximum usage of 7,500 gallons.
The rate is $8.55 per 1,000 gallons for the first 20,000 gallons. If consumption exceeds 7,500 gallons in a quarter, the rate is $10.58 per 1,000 gallons for any amount in excess of 20,000 gallons.
Revolinsky said his quarterly bill for a family of four in a single family home in Milltown is about $300, which includes both water and sewer charges.
“Rates for water and sewer are increasing 10 percent, so I would be looking at a minor increase of about $120 per year,” he said.
Revolinksy said the reason for the increase is two-fold.
“Despite increased costs of operation of our water and sewer systems and infrastructure improvements, rates have not been raised since 2010, [which has been] chewing away at our surplus in the budget,” he said. “Additionally, we received sewer disposal bills to the tune of $166,000 [from the New Brunswick Water Department] more than what was anticipated based on previous years. To bring the budget back in line, a 10 percent increase has been proposed to cover these additional costs anticipated for 2017.”
Dixon said in 2010 the total budget for water and sewer was $675,000. Today, seven years later, the total budget is $1.2 million.
“Just like anything else — Why have your taxes gone up? Why a loaf of bread has gone up? Why has everything gone up? — we’ve tried to hold [costs stable] as long as we can, but our cost is going up,” he explained at the council meeting.
Councilman Randy Farkas had previously asked if a one-time assessment could be considered without raising the water and sewer rates.
However, Revolinsky said the increased rates are necessary to move the borough forward.
“A single one-time assessment won’t work because it only solves the problem of one year,” he said. “We have to plan ahead to put money aside for doing infrastructure projects [so] we don’t have to take out big loans and do these other projects.”
Borough officials said if water and sewer rates had been increasing for the past seven years, it would equate to less than two percent each year.
Mayor Eric Steeber said improving infrastructure in the borough costs money.
“If we replace and realign two miles of water lines, if we repaint the storage tank, if we [move] Public Works and utilities out of a flood [plane] … it costs money. Anything we do it costs money,” he said.
Four council members voted to approve the increased rates while Councilman Nicholas Ligotti voted against the measure. Farkas was not present.
Contact Kathy Chang at [email protected].