VERO BEACH – Approximately 100 residents were on hand Tuesday to hear the city council determine that customers of Vero Beach’s water and wastewater systems will see their monthly bills increase in October and again in April as officials try to raise enough money to handle improvements to the systems and pay off debts.
How much the bills will go up is unclear, though it won’t be by more than 18 percent in October and April.
City officials, along with their consultants, have been charged with looking for alternatives to raising the rate by 18 percent in October. However, a smaller amount in October might mean a higher percentage in April, according to the consultant. Utility customer William Murphy asked whether users would see any savings on their utility bills with electric supposedly decreasing in January but water and sewer rates going up. His question was not immediately answered.
Others in attendance pointed out that as county residents they do not get to vote in the Vero Beach municipal election and feel that they do not have a voice.
Mayor Sabe Abell responded, saying that there are more county representatives on the city’s utilities commission than there are Vero Beach representatives, so they are represented. He also said that county residents are welcome to address the council.
At the behest of its consultants, the city has agreed to raise its rates for wastewater by 36 percent. To help spread the increase out over time, the city decided to implement the increase over two phases.
“That sounds a lot more palatable,” said Vero Beach City Councilman Bill Fish.
Vice Mayor Tom White voted against the rate increases, noting that the increase to the wastewater rate is too severe.
“It’s outrageous,” he said.
Water rates, too, will increase – by 7 percent, which according to the consultant is much lower than what other water providers charge.
According to the city’s consultants the city needed to hike its water and wastewater rates by a combined 10 percent just to have the water utility reach a break even point. The 10 percent increase would not cover the capital improvements the city needs to make on the system to keep it running, nor would it cover the costs of the loans the city has taken to construct the deep water injection well already underway.
White also voiced concern about the rate increases and projects the utility is planning in light of recent discussions with Indian River County officials about the possibility of consolidating the wastewater systems.
“We haven’t even discussed that,” said Vero Beach’s water and sewer director Rob Bolton. He added that the city and county have “incompatible” water – they use different chemicals – and that he does not “see any real benefit” to the city.
“We’ve got to look at the big picture,” White responded.
