West Bountiful likely to increase its water fees
But current residents aren't the only ones who will be hit with higher fees. Impact fees for new construction also are likely to increase.
The problem, says West Bountiful Mayor James Behunin, is that the city hadn't been willing to raise water fees in the past to keep up with the demands of an aging system.
Needs include storage for 400,000 gallons of water to bring the city's total to 2.5 million gallons, a well than can pump 600 gallons a minute — to bring the total to 2,100 gallons a minute — and enough infrastructure to add 74 new connections a year.
Over the next few weeks, the City Council will study various solutions, including a single bump in water rates — from $23 a month to $50 — or an increase staggered over three years.
Impact fees are currently $2,600 and could increase to $4,300.
Jason Burningham, a principal with Lewis, Young, Robertson and Burningham, the city's financial adviser, also recommended that certain water fees increase by an annual inflationary rate because construction costs will continue to increase.
Frustrated council members echoed his sentiments, but not only about the water situation.
Four members of the City Council are in their first terms and haven't planned a city budget before.
They're unsatisfied with the lack of detail in the budget and have requested that city staff provide justification for budget line items.
Meanwhile, Behunin has posted a copy of the proposed city budget online at wbbudget.blogspot.com so residents can inspect it and ask questions.
The city also has also been hit by the loss of and subsequent repayment of tax revenue it had been mistakenly collecting from the Holly Oil refinery for the past few years. The accounting stumble forced officials to trim $120,000 from the current budget and means the city won't be able to count on the $16,000 in monthly tax revenue generated by the glitch.
Behunin recommended hiring an assistant city administrator who can be the city's budget officer so issues such as the Holly tax debacle won't happen in the future.
Cities that are not projecting a property-tax increase are supposed to pass a final budget by today and file it with the State Auditor's Office within 30 days.
But because West Bountiful is starting over with its budget now, it will file its budget late.
On July 1, the council will meet for a budget meeting and have a final budget review by July 29. It expects to adopt its budget by August 5.
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