Bertram residents should see increase in base water rates come October
JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF
BERTRAM — Water prices in Bertram soon might be rising after the city council learned the rates did not cover operations.
“(The council has) definitely been made aware that water rates are not even breaking even with our current rate,” city secretary Evan Milliorn said. “Council decided to increase the base rate for all water customers.”
That’s more than 750 customers who, come October, should see a $2.50 increase to the base water rate.
City leaders recently met with the Texas Rural Water Association, which helped calculate what the city’s rate would need to be to cover operating costs.
The city currently charges a base rate of $23. The association showed that Bertram would need to charge a base rate of $33.85, Milliorn said.
Mayor Dickie Allen said the city financed new water meters for $120,000 over five years without adjusting the rate since 2003.
“We made two payments in the last two years, and the utility fund is getting kinda broke,” Allen said. “The money came out, and we didn’t make provisions for paying that.”
Allen said the council now might try to gradually raise water rates every few years to better keep up with costs.
“Right now, it’s good for Bertram because (customers) are getting a good deal on water prices,” he said. “We going to continue to try to keep water prices down.”
Allen said he expects the council to have a public hearing on the rates during an upcoming regular council meeting before rates go up.
jared@thepicayune.com