JULY 2020
WEATHER
28 T U E S D AY
TODAY
93/77
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WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
92/78
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B y LEGEND o you ht T o u g PLUMBING & ROOTER
830 • 303 •3335 Lic # ML-16126
The Voice of Seguin Today
Volume 55 • Number 141 830 • 379 • 2234
Rate studies show slight increase for Seguin’s utility customers City officials say small increases set for water, sewer, electric customers By Darren Dunn
Normally, when you think of $184 million in debt, you think, ‘oh my God! How are we going to pay for that? Our rates are going to have to go through the roof in order to pay for that’. Well, guess what? They are not and the primary reason that they are not is that you have undergone some very, very prudent financial management over the last decade and you have also made some very difficult decisions in the past. You have made the decision to adjust your rates and to ensure that your utility is financially healthy. But doing that, that is given you the ability to absorb this game changing new project at a minimal impact to your rate payers,” said Jackson.
(Seguin) -- Utility customers in the city of Seguin will notice slight increases in their water, wastewater and electric bills next year. In recent years, the city has conducted rate studies on both the water/wastewater and electrical services. The idea is to make sure that each service pays for itself. The sewer service fees were of particular interest this year, because the city has embarked on a plan to create a centralized sewer system at a cost of $184 million. The plan calls for decommissioning the Walnut Branch sewer plant, and greatly expanding the existing sanitary sewer plant, located east of town along Geronimo Creek. Jackson says existing customers will not have to bear the financial burden of this project Dan Jackson, of Willdan Financial Services, alone. In fact, he says the expansion will help conducted the water/wastewater rate study on to bring even more growth to the city, and that behalf of the city. He says the city is in a good growth will help to pay down that debt. position to finance the wastewater expansion project. He says the study shows that it can be “The other benefit of this project is that it is done without big rate increases for existing sewer going to bring in a lot of new accounts. It’s customers. Jackson says this is a big project that going to lead to a lot of growth. It’s going to will have a positive impact on the city’s future. lead to economic development in this city. It’s going to make the city a better place. “Bottom line, it is going to be a real game It’s going to make the city more prosperous, changer for the city, but it’s also going to be economically and financially. Those new very expensive. It’s a $184 million project. accounts are going to offset a significant That’s a lot of debt that you are going to portion of your costs,” said Jackson. be issuing in order to fund this project. See INCREASE, page 3
Keith Kruse 979-551-0106