Community News

COUNCIL SETS 2023 WATER AND WASTEWATER BUDGET

BRILEE SEARS bsears@metroland.com

Fort Erie residents can expect a slight increase to water and wastewater rates in 2023, but councillors insist they are doing what they can to keep costs down.

Users can expect an average yearly increase of around $64.84 for their water and wastewater services, which was lower than the anticipated increase at the start of budget discussions.

Prices were kept down through a proposal from Mayor Wayne Redekop that saw the surplus from the 2022 water and wastewater budget reinvested into the 2023 budget rather than being set aside for future use.

The surplus funds, amounting to around $221,000, decreased the proposed costs for each customer by around one per cent.

"This is an extraordinary year. We're coming out of a pandemic. Our customers, our residents are faced with all kinds of increases. Maybe a one per cent decrease isn't much, but it's something," said Redekop.

Coun. Nick Dubanow noted that while in a normal year he would not support an amendment like this one, this year presents a unique set of circumstances.

"I think this is going to be the challenge of our term: picking up the pieces after the pandemic, inflation, interest rates, these are things we're going to have to keep track of," Dubanow said. "With everything residents have been through, we should do what we can."

The amendment was unanimously passed, with council then approving a final wastewater budget of water base charge: $25.50; water rate charge: $1.570, wastewater base charge: $42.72; wastewater rate charge: $2.452.

The town will also continue with monthly billing, a service it says helps residents be able to better track their water usage.

"From a customers perspective, the benefit is, one, you're getting a bill on a monthly basis, so it's easier to budget for that; and number two, if a customer has a leak we're going to be able to likely ascertain that much more quickly," added Redekop.

During the meeting council was encouraged to put more money into reserve funding than in future years, in an effort to help combat some economic uncertainty regarding future inflation rates.

"We do know in a general sense that inflation is much higher on the construction side that potentially we are falling quite a bit behind on those contributions," said Janzen.

In the meeting it was also noted that despite growth in Fort Erie's population, the water usage has decreased.

"Even though our town is growing and we have new homes being created the actual consumption volumes are coming down," explained Janzen.

Those seeking additional information about wastewater and water in Fort Erie are encouraged to check out the town website.

COUNCIL

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2023-01-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281651079238425

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