It’s looking more likely Rapid City residents should prepare for a utility hike. The local council, after a brief delay, advanced a proposal to rase water rates. The issue is now just one vote from becoming policy.
The rate hike for all Rapid City residents could be seen on your bill by as early as January, though the city would first alert residents to the change in coming weeks.
The first reading of the proposal survived on a 5-4 vote and will require a second reading before being enacted. That will come after the New Year.
The proposed increase would take place gradually over the next five years, with the average increase coming in at around $4. That means average water bills in city limits could top $60 for the first time ever, and wastewater services could go over $55.
Among other things, the rate hikes would fund projects to replace aging infrastructure and help the city keep up with inflation.
At a previous meeting, council President John Roberts said it’s more than a few bucks a month once all is said and done.
“Now we’re talking about a 60% increase on the water side and a 72% increase on the sewer side in the next five years," Roberts said. "The impact is going to hit right away, for everybody. We absolutely need to do this project, we have to do it, I’m going to vote to do this project. It’s just the matter of the way we fund it and how the taxpayers are looking at it.”
One of those taxpayers, Carla Schanzenbach, said there are still unanswered questions tied to the proposal.
“We don’t just have housing shortage, we have affordable housing shortages, and we’re looking at pushing our already high water costs even higher," Schanzenbach said. "So, we need to ask a couple of questions. What about the people now who can’t afford water? How many live in their homes without this service? How much bad debt does the department write off now, and what happens if those not paying their bills increase substantially? It impacts us all.”
The next meeting of the Common Council is scheduled for Jan. 2.