STRATFORD, P.E.I. — Residents will soon start paying a little more for water and sewer services in Stratford.
While property taxes will remain the same, Wednesday’s approval of the town’s utility budget included increases for the water and sewer rates as a result of a new treatment approach for wastewater.
Starting July 1, water for single-family dwellings will go from $73.55 to $75.30 per quarter while consumption charge for metered water will go from $0.8679 to $0.88885 per cubic metre.
Sewer services for a single-family dwelling will increase from $108 to $121 per quarter, while the consumption charge for metered sewer will go from $1.2744 to $1.4278 per cubic metre.
Coun. Gail MacDonald, who chairs the finance and technology committee, noted the increase is not necessarily new information for residents. The town previously announced it would be phasing in water and sewer rate increases during a three-year period. This is the second year of the plan.
Mayor Steve Ogden said the raised rates seemed significant but that it is required for the utility to break even and remain sustainable.
The increase will help pay for a pumping station and delivery system. In 2017, Stratford and Charlottetown agreed on a plan to combine wastewater treatment with funding from the provincial and federal governments.
Stratford budget
- The town’s operational budget is forecasting revenue of $6,384,700 and expenses of $6,383,000 for a surplus of $1,700.
- Property taxes will remain at $0.44 per $100 of assessment for residential properties and $0.99 per $100 of assessment for commercial properties.
- The majority of the town’s revenue, more than $4.1 million, is derived from property taxes with the Municipal Capital Expenditures Grant providing about $1.1 million in revenue.
- The capital budget includes $7,294,000 for the construction of a new emergency services facility. The net additional cost of the facility, including financing charges, fire dues and operational costs, is about $425,000 per year.
- $75,000 was included for retrofits to the multiuse court at Pondside Park.
- $60,000 was included for furniture, appliances and equipment for the new emergency services facility.
- Other items included in the budget were the expansion of the parking lot area at Fullerton’s Creek Conservation Park, the completion of the town’s website upgrade and a web portal that will allow residents to pay utility and recreation bills online.
- Other investments in the budget include upgrades to the active transportation network and, pending funding from the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, phase one of a planned restoration to Kelly’s Pond watershed.
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