Politics & Government
Middletown Customers to See Sewer Bill Increase By $9
Middletown's proposed budget for the Sewer Fund was presented Wednesday night as part of the town's first public hearing on the FY 2012 municipal and school budgets.
Despite water and sewer increases from Newport Utilities this year, as well as $5.8 million in sewer and stormwater projects on the books for this coming year, the average customers in Middletown can expect to see their bills increase by 1 percent, about $9, over the next fiscal year, according to projections from Middletown officials.
The estimates were presented Wednesday night during the first public hearing on the town’s municipal budget in the cafeteria.
Town Administrator Shawn Brown’s Sewer Fund projections showed that the average single family’s usage measured in gallons has dropped by 3 percent, thereby reducing per-gallon charges for the coming 2012 fiscal year.
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However, Newport Water’s annual Inflow & Infiltration charges are increasing 100 percent, from $22.02 to $44.10, while its average annual customer service charges are also increasing by 11 percent, from $33.64 to $37.27.
The impact to the average single family customer in Middletown means that annual costs are to increase by about $9, from $660.37 in FY 2011 to $669.66 in FY 2012.
Find out what's happening in Middletownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Town of Middletown also has about $5.8 million in one-time capital improvement projects planned for FY 2012, including stormwater drainage improvements approved in the Continental Drive and Commodore Perry Village neighborhoods that voters approved in the November 2010 bond referendum. There's also emergency projects to reduce stormwater pollution in Easton’s Bay, as mandated by state and federal environmental regulators and approved by the Town Council earlier this year.
“It is somewhat remarkable that we are able to do $5.8 million in capital projects within these numbers, and this year water and sewer customers are only being impacted overall by that $9 amount,” Town Administrator Shawn Brown noted, referring to the 1 percent average single family increase that’s been projected for Middletown customers.
The second public hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 23, followed by another budget workshop on June 1. The final budget adoption meeting is scheduled for June 6. Click here for the complete schedule
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