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Century Water System Plan Could Mean Significant Rate Increase
June 22, 2020
A significant rate increase could be in the future for Century water customers. if the town council follows a plan they recently approved.
A Century Water System Asset Management and Fiscal Sustainability Plan created by the Florida Rural Water Association (FRWA) found the need for the rate increase, plus increased costs for commercial customers, the prison and possibly water system customers that are outside of the town limits.
For an average family using 5,000 gallons per month, the monthly average water bill is currently about $21.36.
“Although this rate may be minimally sufficient for current operations, the improvements recommended may require a cost adjustment to be financially sustainable,” the Florida Rural Water Association found, also noting commercial accounts currently pay the same rate as residential customers, and that should be changed.
“Although this rate may be minimally sufficient for current operations, the improvements recommended may require a cost adjustment to be financially sustainable,” the report stated.
The Century Correctional Institution accounts for just over half of all the affluent into Century’s wastewater treatment plant, “yet is billed very little comparatively”, and the FRWA recommended that the Florida Department of Corrections pay their fair share.
Without increased rates for the prison and commercial accounts, the FRWA said “an overly cumbersome burden” will be placed on residential customers to pay for mandated rehabilitations.
In order to accomplish an estimated $561,305 in needed capital needs water system improvements and to set aside needed reserve funds, water rates would need to be increased 32.3% in year one with additional smaller increases in each of four additional years.
The plan is only recommendations from FRWA. A rate study would likely first determine the exact amount of any rate increase before it is implemented with the approval of the town council.
Comments
13 Responses to “Century Water System Plan Could Mean Significant Rate Increase”
Why don’t you pay my water bill in Jay? 6856 gallons for $56.43!!!
25 a Month in Berrydale. East of jay 4 and 87 intersection. WHY? Early bad decisions and bad management. water recipients should show up for meetings and keep up with decisions made to keep simple water from being a real financial burden. Rural electricity is higher than gulf power also. A drive for a loaf of bread and milk in some places in north Al. or Fl. is over ten miles. adding to constant drives to the closest store in gasoline becoming a burden after many trips a week, the bottom line is that a city charging you a little more for services isn’t such a bad thing compared to other locations. You don’t have it as bad as you think or whine about it!
@mrmetoo:
cottage hill waterworks got them both beat at 30 bucks plus a month. more importantly though, i wonder how i can eat at all much less gamble anywhere with no job.
It would be interesting to know if financial analysts in the Department of Corrections noticed unusually low water/sewer rates at CCI compared to similar sized CI’s in Florida.
Also, local governments will sell their souls for large employers to build in their communities. Was their an agreement long ago between Century and the State of Florida that established water/sewer rates?
Sadly, residents gripped into generational poverty have apparently been carrying the financial burden disproportionately for the State of Florida. Representative Hill and Senator Broxson, or their successors, should bring this to the Florida Legislature in 2021 and pay the state’s fair share retroactively.
As for the Town Council and town bookkeeper, understanding the costs of operations is your job. Such inept governance, coupled with state underpayment for services received, is EXACTLY why people are calling for the local government to be dissolved.
Maybe if the good people of Century had paid more attention to how the city is managed, they wouldn’t be in this pickle. Asking for the State to rescue them instead of paying what it cost to fix the problem by paying higher rates sounds like a bailout. It’s your problem, and you fix it Century!
Suggest a rate increase for water and let the complaining begin. How on earth will we pay for this and still go to he Wind Creek casino or eat at Whataburger?
At a time when people have been out of work for one reason or another, the town needs to raise rates.
Folks are used to prices going up from time to time and most wouldn’t mind if the town didn’t mishandle every aspect of everything they touch.
Why is Century still a town? Why hasn’t the state stepped in and dismantled it? Why haven’t the town’s leaders been held accountable?
you had to know this was coming. poor management, misappropriated funds. no records kept. it all comes back to the people to foot the bill for incompetence. if the prison is our problem, bill them. if they use more of it and require more maintenance, they should pay. the money from the citizens will just give the crowd in city hall more money to disappear.
Could it possibly be they may start charging for natural gas.
NOW how many are getting free water like the free gas?
Running a water system, big or small, it takes a lot of money to maintain equipment. Each system needs to have a rate review at least every 5 to 10 years. Each year the price of pipe, wells pumps, tank maintenance, and infrastructure cost all rise. Things wear out over time and use. A water company, private of public, has the same cost. Everything goes up with time.
I thought we put up with the incorporation so the town would apply for GRANTS for infrastructure.
By comparison, ECUA charges $12.95 a minimum monthly meter charge, plus $2.54 per thousand gallons of water for another $12.70 and dont forget to tack on the $2.50 monthly Capital Improvement Fee for a total of $28.15 for 5,000 gallons of water usage.