The Gloucester Board of Supervisors voted 6-1 to approve a monthly 14 percent increase to water and sewer rates during Tuesday night’s public hearing held in the colonial courthouse. The increase is set to take effect on May 1. This is the first time since FY2014 that the rates for public utilities have been increased.
The increased rate will help begin funding the 10-year capital plan for the Public Utilities Department, as presented by Director of Public Utilities Katey Legg.
As of March, there are 3,292 water-only accounts and 1,946 customers who hold both water and sewer accounts.
The board will revisit the public utilities increases every year, but the current proposed plan is to have a 13 percent increase in FY27, 11 percent in FY28, 10 percent in FY29 and 8 percent in FY30. This would generate approximately $3 million total in additional revenue.
“Growth could change that,” Chief Financial Officer Maria Calloway said about the proposed future rates.
“This is our best guess right...