BY JOHN DUNPHY
Staff Writer
SAYREVILLE — Borough water and sewer rates could soon be raised for the first time in several years.
The Borough Council is expected to approve an increase of 6 percent in the water and sewer rates at Monday’s council meeting. It would be the first increase for either utility since 2001.
“It’s really a minimal increase,” Mayor Kennedy O’Brien said. “We subsidize the sewer portion of the bill. You can only keep the rates where they are for so long.”
Borough Business Administrator Jeffry Bertrand said general tax dollars have been underwriting the water and sewer rates, and the borough is looking to balance out the costs.
He said the average bill of $20 can be expected to rise by about $1.20 if the council approves the increase.
Officials said the increase reflects a significant loss of revenue from the North Jersey Energy Plant on Jernee Mill Road, which last year reduced operations from being year-round to only during peak times, which Bertrand said is about two to three months of the year.
“We’ve lost a significant amount of revenue from that,” he said.
Recently, nearby South River passed an ordinance that will increase its water rates by 27 percent.
Despite Sayreville’s increase, O’Brien added that borough rates are still considerably low.
“The water rates have remained flat at least for the past four years,” he said. “And we still have one of the lowest water rates in the county.”
The council is expected to vote on the increases at Monday’s regular council meeting to be held at 7:30 p.m. at Borough Hall. If approved, the new rates will take effect shortly thereafter.