Westport Sewer District #1 rates to increase

WESTPORT | Starting this month, users within Sewer District #1 will notice an increase in their bills. On June 22, following a public hearing attended by only a few residents, the Town of Westport unanimously approved the new sewer water fee schedule. Most property owners within Sewer District #1 will see their bill increase to $143.50 per quarter, up from the current $83.50, except for properties with multiple users, such as apartment complexes and the Boquet Valley Central School Lake View Campus, which receive a special discounted rate. The $60-per-quarter increase is due in part to inflation, with utility bills such as electricity contributing to a shortfall. Earlier this year, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) approved temporary rate increases for NYSEG, which took effect on June 1. For residents, electric bills increased by 0.2%, while natural gas bills increased by 1.7%. These temporary hikes were approved following NYSEG's original proposal, which would've resulted in total bill hikes of 23.7% for electric users and 33.5% for natural gas users. The other reason for the rate increase is bond payments. "We have invested millions of dollars' worth of infrastructure improvements throughout the last 12 years. Unfortunately, that's not free money, and now we need to pay it back," said Tyler, referring to the town's latest payment of $101,000 on the approximately $2 million bond that is expected to be paid off completely by 2038. "There definitely is going to be more increases as we move forward, but they're not going to be as drastic as this." The town took out a bond it's paying off today to help fund a $6 to $7 million project that took place about 20 years ago. And as the years have passed, various other improvements have been made to keep the existing infrastructure up to date, functioning properly and safely, while also keeping pace with new laws and regulations enacted by New York State. After this first bond is paid off, the town will move on to paying off the second bond, approximately $200,000, which was also taken out for improvements. "We take our infrastructure in Westport very seriously, and we want to continue to keep the infrastructure running strong so that Westport can stay vibrant and grow in the future, but in order to do that, we unfortunately have to make these tough decisions," Tyler explained. "It's very frustrating dealing with the high costs of everything, but we're going to try to keep town taxes and rates at a minimum, as best as we can." To express questions or concerns, contact the Town of Westport directly. For more information or updates, visit westportny.net.

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Westport Sewer District #1 rates to increase

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