In April, the City Council approved the budget for the new fiscal year beginning May 1. The City’s total budget for the year is just over $226 million. This includes all operational costs to provide essential services (many of them 24/7) for 33,000 residents and more than 2,000 businesses, including:
- Police and fire protection
- Streets and public works services
- Utility services for electric, water and sewer
Capital Improvement Projects
Included in the budget is more than $53M in capital projects. This year, the City will complete more than 13 miles of road improvements, one of the largest annual road programs ever undertaken in a single year. Almost $21M is for the water and sewer utilities to replace aging watermain pipes, increase water well capacity and treatment, make improvements to the wastewater treatment plant, and replace aging or undersized sewer lines.
Water and Sewer Costs
The costs to provide water and sewer services has increased significantly over the last two years. This is mainly due to considerable capital investments needed to support new development and refurbish an aging infrastructure. Some of these costs have increased by more than 20% to 30% just over the last year.
To address these cost increases while also being mindful of the impact to customers, the City has approved 5% water and sewer rate increases for the next several years. The initial increase will be effective for utility bills issued after June 1, 2024. Although costs associated with the City’s electric utility also have increased, the City is not adjusting electric rates for the fifth consecutive year. While an individual customer’s specific usage may vary, the average total impact on a typical bill is about 2.8% net increase.
Read the budget here. For questions regarding the City budget or to better understand how City finances work, contact Bill Hannah, Director of Finance at bhannah@stcharlesil.gov.
