Meanwhile, the city has started moving on 11- and 20-year plans to tackle serious inflow and infiltration problems in the water and sewer system that are costing the city millions of dollars every year.
Following last night's approval of new water/sewer rates, yearly water/sewer bills for the average Newton homeowner will increase by roughly $51 in fiscal 2013. The Board of Aldermen last night voted 21-0 in favor of a 3.9 percent increase to the city's water/sewer rates, which will take effect July 1, 2012. According to Chief Financial Officer Maureen Lemieux, who presented the rates at last night's public hearing, the city administration has developed a plan that will allow the water/sewer rates to remain stable over the next ten years, rather than having large increases that vary year to year. "Our goal was to have a dependable, stable rate increase," Lemieux said. "As we put this plan together, our intent to have the rates increase …
42.338375
-71.207786
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Ave, Newton, MA
/articles/average-newton-home-to-see-51-increase-to-water-sewer-bill
765424
/locations/6956000
An amendment to the rate increase proposed a jump to 9.1 percent from 7.7 percent, but aldermen turned down the motion.
In a close vote last night, the Board of Aldermen decided to forego an amendment that would raise the recommended 7.7 percent water/sewer rate increase to a 9.1 percent increase in fiscal 2012. The additional increase, which was projected to gather around $600,000, was proposed to help assess Newton’s aging and deteriorating water/sewer infrastructure. The original 7.7 percent increase proposed by the mayor, which was presented in a hearing a few weeks ago, increases the average resident’s water bill by $94 in fiscal 2012 (based on 95 hundred cubit feet of water used). The additional 1.4 percent would add another $16 onto those bills each year. To read more information on how the water/sewer rates work and the proposed increase, check out …
42.338375
-71.207786
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Ave, Newton, MA
/articles/newton-watersewer-rates-to-increase-77-percent
765424
/locations/4406243
Charlie Shapiro
4:43 pm on Saturday, May 21, 2011
Mary is right. It's important that the city invest resources to fix and update the system. The Mayor has proposed an amount as part of his budget. This item called for an increased amount and many thought it was not the time to have an increase on top of an increase. Others, including me, thought we should see what the volume and revenue from the new water meters is before any additional action. … more ›