Improving city water is a hot topic because improvements could raise your water rates by 7.4% or about $72 a year.
Common Council has voted 9-1 to move forward with preliminary approval of the proposed water rates but only after the city manager looks at a few ways to save taxpayers some money.
There are a couple of things that could lower rates. If the shared risk model for the pension plan is approved, some of the millions of dollars saved from the pension plan could be used to lower costs. The city manager will see if there's a potential to indirectly offset any increase in water rates and will be looking at a relief program for people those who can't afford an increase.
Councillors Donnie Snook voted against, saying he can't vote for it knowing many people can't afford any kind of increase.
Mayor Mel Norton says if a half cent or 1 cent decrease in the tax rate issustainable in the long term, we could see a reduction.
