Carson City water fee hike approved

The Carson City Board of Supervisors narrowly approved a staggered 14 percent water fee hike starting April 1. Supervisors Shelly Aldean and Peter Livermore voted against the increase that passed 3-2 Thursday.

Water fees will increase by 7 percent April 1, and by another 7 percent Oct. 1.

"Nobody likes to raise taxes or utilities, but we have a responsibility to the larger community," Mayor Marv Teixeira said during the sparsely attended meeting.

John Bono, a consultant hired by the city, stressed the need to raise water fees - now.

"For 10 years, you didn't do anything," Bono said, addressing the board. "You're now in a situation where your back is against a funding wall."

Bono added the city had been living off fund balance since it last increased rates in 1993. He ruled out the option of selling bonds to fund water improvement projects, saying no one would buy them.

The increase will hit heavy water users the most. Because of a new pricing bracket created for high-end users, individuals and businesses consuming more than 100,000 gallons of water a month will see their rate increase by 32 percent - not just 14 percent.

David Ruf, owner of Greenhouse Garden Center nursery, said the hike would constitute a hardship for his business, which consumes more than 100,000 gallons on some months.

After Oct. 1, the monthly fixed water fee for a 5Ú8" by 3Ú4" meter will rise from $7.29 to $8.35, while the consumption fee for the first $5,000 gallons will increase from $0.49 to $0.56 per 1,000 gallons.

The average resident who consumes 14,000 gallons a month will pay $2.30 extra on his or her monthly water bill after Oct. 1.

The same increases apply to businesses. A business that uses 48,000 gallons a month will fork out an additional $9 for its monthly water bill.

Water isn't the only utility that has recently gone up. The cost of gas and electricity has also increased.

Last year, Sierra Pacific Power Co. raised residential power rates on average by 5.2 percent, while the cost of gas grew by 4.9 percent.

The water hike will help fund $35 million in capital projects, ranging from digging new wells to modernizing arsenic treatment facilities.

- Contact reporter Dan Moreau at dmoreau@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.