Updated at 9:41 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10
The Brownsville City Commission approved the first reading of an amendment to an ordinance that would increase water and sewer rates for El Jardin Water Supply Corp.
“The [Brownsville Public Utilities Board] is requesting the city commission to amend section 102-114 subsection b of the court ordinances to adopt new rates for El Jardin Water Supply Corp.,” Miguel A. Perez, Chief Financial Officer for the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, said during the Aug. 2 meeting. “The updated rates for El Jardin Water Supply Corp. incorporate the same water rate increases that were previously approved by the city commission.”
Under the ordinance, the rates to be charged and collected from the El Jardin Water Supply Corp. are established pursuant to the settlement agreement and exclude monthly service charges, according to the meeting documents.
“[When] we were incorporating the new updates to the rates, we realized that El Jardin rates had not been adjusted,” Perez said. “And so, at that point, we did get a final report from our consultant and then it’s when he actually included them in there.”
The rate per 1,000 gallons is currently $2.70, but if approved at the Aug. 16 second reading, it will change, effective immediately, to $2.92. This trend will continue with rates increasing to $3.15 effective Jan. 1, 2023; $3.34 effective Jan. 1, 2024; $3.47 effective Jan. 1, 2025; and $3.65 effective Jan. 1, 2026.
On May 3, the city commission approved the second and final reading of the utilities ordinance, which according to documents, “provides for water and sewer rates and charges; amending sections of chapter 102 to provide for adjustments to rates, fees and charges for water and wastewater services to implement a rate plan; providing for a resaca charge.”
BPUB based its request upon the rate study and financial plan. It examined existing and planned costs, as well as associated rates, fees and charges prepared by Willdan Financial Services, an independent consulting and engineering firm.
The second hearing for this item is scheduled for the Aug. 16 city commission meeting.
