Rate increases could be in store for Broken Arrow utility customers as the city looks to fund repairs and additions to its water and sewer system.
The increase will likely be combined with around $50 million in bonds voters will be asked to approve by early 2018.
"We feel that is the most appropriate way to go forward versus putting it all in the rates because, obviously, any time you're talking about increases it's a very serious matter," said City Manager Michael Spurgeon. "We try to keep our rates affordable, and, at the same time, make sure that we're operating efficiently."
The proposed plan calls for annual rate increases for five years. A typical household would see their overall utility bill go up between $5.52 and $7.69 a month.
The city’s water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure hasn’t kept up with how fast Broken Arrow’s population has grown. Spurgeon said they need to not only build new pieces, but also to repair older parts of the system.
"It's not really a choice on whether we actually do the projects. It's just what is the most cost-effective way to pay for them," Spurgeon said.
Broken Arrow’s population has increased nine-fold since 1970, and much of the city's water and sewer infrastructure was built from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.
