BY PEPPER FISHER
Sequim – The City of Sequim Public Works Department is feeling the bite of inflation, and over the next 5 years, so will its customers.
Monday night, City Council approved proposed rate increases for both water and sewer utilities along with an annual increase in GFC pricing. A GFC, or General Facilities Charge, is a one-time charge to connect to the water and/or sewer system.
The Public Works Department completed a deep-dive analysis of the utility revenue and expenditure projections over a 20-year period and presented a rate study to Council at the June 9 Council work session.
Staff asked the council to approve a 4.5% increase in sewer rates every year for the next 5 years, 5.5% each year for water rates, and 3% per year for GFCs. That’s for years 2026-2030.
The report says the increases would translate into a little under $3 a month on the average sewer bill, and $1.96 increase to the average monthly water bill.
The report says failure to address the anticipated shortfall in both water and sewer utility funds will result in reductions in service, delays in critical infrastructure capital projects, and potentially falling out of compliance with state and federal permitting requirements.