The city of Mishawaka will host an informational meeting Tuesday night about its plans to raise utility rates. The city says its rates are among the lowest in the state, and that would remain true after the increase.
Mishawaka city residents pay one monthly bill for sewer, water, electric and trash. It now averages $228.99. If approved by the common council, the city will raise that by an average of $3.75% a year, effective each January 1, over the next five years.
The city Monday issued a press release showing that even after the increase next year, their monthly price for all those services combined would still be lower than 10 other Indiana cities they selected for the comparison.
City spokesman Matt Lentsch says the stormwater portion of the bill is driving this increase, to pay for unfunded federal and state mandates to separate storm and sanitary sewers before discharge into the St. Joseph River. He said the city has used property tax revenue from its tax incremental financing districts to avoid raising the stormwater rate for five years but that’s not sustainable.
But the city wants to phase in the increase.
”You know, to me, a 5-year, 3.75% increase sure beats a 17 to 20% increase in one year, which becomes unaffordable,” Lentsch said.
