Second public meeting for proposed water and wastewater utility rate hike

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The second public meeting was held on Wednesday where the people of Yuma were allowed to voice their opinion regarding a potential increase in water and wastewater utility rates.

“The other concern I have is if there going to increase the capacity fees so that users are not going to be subsidizing the growth and they said the capacity fees are covering the cost of the growth and the new construction that they have capacity fees are covering those,” said a local resident, Greg Wilkinson.

The city was able to explain where the proposal came about.

“The fact that this was not just something we want to do for the heck of it there’s an independent rate study that had been conducted for this and that's what determined that,” said City of Yuma Public Affairs Coordinator Dave Nash.

The proposed increase would be about two to three dollars a month over that period.

The last water and wastewater utilities increase was in 2019.

The vice president for Willdan Financial explains why the increase is needed soon.

“A combination of increasing operating costs, inflation, insurance cost increases, and the need to do capital improvement as resulting in the need for the city to implement a new comprehensive water and wastewater rate plan,” said Dan V. Jackson, Vice President of Willdan Financial.

After hearing from Willdan Financial and some public concerns, the city council will vote on the rate hike sometime in the near future.