Town Meeting 2024 – Members approve 6 percent water rate increase, annual $32 increase for average residential users and annual $282 increase for average commercial users

By Mark E. Vogler

Members voted 39-4 at Monday’s Town Meeting session 3 in support of a 6 percent increase in the water rate for the 2025 Fiscal Year that begins July 1. The average residential user bill will increase from $530 a year to $562 a year – for a $16 hike twice a year, according to the rate approved.

The average commercial user bill will increase from $4,700 to $4,982 – for a $141-increase twice a year under the plan that was recommended by the Finance Committee.

There was no discussion before the vote. Town Meeting Members Jeanie Bartolo and William S. Brown and Kevin D. Curry of Precinct 6 and Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Darren Ring voted against the rate increase, which was the middle of three rate options outlined in a report compiled by The Abrahams Group, the town’s longtime consulting firm.

Option 1 – a 7 percent increase – would have raised the average residential water bill from $530 a year to $566 a year, which would amount to an $18 increase twice a year. The bill for the average commercial user would have risen from $4,700 to $5,030 – an increase of $165 on the average bill twice a year.

Town Meeting had approved a 5 percent rate increase for the current fiscal year, following a 6 percent increase for the 2023 Fiscal Year and a 2.5 percent increase for the 2022 Fiscal Year.

In its status report to the town, The Abrahams Group said a rate action was necessary to avoid depleting retained earnings and to avoid shortfalls. Without a rate action, retained earnings would be depleted by the 2025 Fiscal Year, the report noted.