While all Montgomery County councilmembers agreed that WSSC needs to increase its rates to upgrade meters and other infrastructure, they are withholding making a recommendation on how steep that increase should be until they meet with their counterparts in Prince George’s County.
WSSC would like to increase its rates by 12.2% but takes direction from Montgomery and Prince George’s councilmembers. WSSC is not constrained to do what the two counties prefer.
Eleven Montgomery County councilmembers want to limit that increase to 10.2%. Council President Andrew Friedson was the lone dissenter. But councilmembers in Prince George’s want the increase not to exceed 9%.
A 10.2% increase would raise a customer’s quarterly bill by $27.53. A 12.2% increase would hike the quarterly bill by $32.87.
Members of the two councils plan to discuss the increase further during the next two weeks. Their recommendations do not have to match, but it is expected that WSSC would follow the higher increase.
According to Councilmember Evan Glass, about 470,000 of the area’s water meters have to be read manually and the vast majority of those meters are 17 years old, with a predicted life span of between 15 and 20 years.
“There are significant needs,” said Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe. “We must convert to smart meters. We must convert to monthly billings.” She added, “We are not up with the times here.”
Several councilmembers noted that kicking some of the improvements down the road will make infrastructure worse and could cost rate payers more in the end.
A rate increase is needed, Glass said, “to make sure our drinking water remains safe and clean.”
Councilmember Will Jawando said, “We have great needs in a lot of places, including our schools, but infrastructure is important.” He added that “it always cost more” to fix problems later.
According to Friedson, Prince George’s councilmembers had wanted the rate increase to only be 8.5%, but he told them that he didn’t think Montgomery County councilmembers “would go below 9%.”
Councilmembers took a straw vote Tuesday to see if there was support for limiting the increase to 9.5%. Six of the 11 councilmembers – a majority – voted not to go that low.
“It is very concerning when you look at the list of what won’t be funded” with each .5% of a rate reduction, said Councilmember Gabe Albornoz.
The company provides water and sewer services to 1.9 million residents in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and is the eighth largest water utility in the country.
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