By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Following a second reading of the water rate increase, the City of Thomas approved an increase that would see the minimum bill increase from $22.34 to $39.28 over a two step increase. City of Thomas Mayor Jody Flanagan and City Attorney Natalie Thomas outlined the rate increase and completed a second, final reading of the Water Rate Increase at a meeting of the Thomas City Council August 13th.
Flanagan said the City was unable to secure the release of grant funding due to being out of compliance with regulations that stipulated that the water rates be set at 1.5% of the Median Household Income for the City of Thomas. Flanagan said the City also cannot get additional loans or grants until the City raises its water rates to the 1.5% MHI numbers. “We can’t get any money because we are out of compliance,” Flanagan said. “Even the grant money we have secured, they won’t release it until our water rates are up to the standard of what they should be, one and a half percent of median household income.”
According to Flanagan, the MHI is set by the U.S. Census and is determined by the number of participating households in the City. According to Flanagan the current MHI of Thomas is $51,429. “So everybody who gets these censuses really need to fill them out and send them back because that actually drives the cost of your water and your utilities rates down,” Flanagan said.
The rate increase is scheduled to take effect in two phases, according to Thomas, with the first scheduled for the end of September with an increase from the current rate of a 2,020 gallon minimum bill of $22.34 to $33.06. “The first step rate would be applicable September 27th,” Thomas said.
The second increase is scheduled to come upon completion of Phase One of the Water Project, according to officials with a scheduled increase on a 2,020 gallon minimum bill to be $33.06 to $39.28.
The measure passed by unanimous vote of all the members present.
