Seneca to pursue utility increase

 

Once again, Seneca Light and Water will ask for a five percent increase in its sewer charges—both inside and outside the city limits.  Bob Faires, utilities director, says the rate increase is included in his  department’s budget request for 2016-17 which is to be presented to the mayor and the council for a vote prior to July 1.  Seneca raised retail sewer charges by an identical amount last year to help recover the costs incurred by upgrades to the city’s system of sewer lift stations.  Faires says the sewer increase is the only one which the Light and Water Plant will pursue for next year.  Recently, in the settlement of the Hammond lawsuit, the city agreed to use $250 thousand of Light and Water money to resolve the case.  But city officials say the city will not ask for any kind of utility rate increase to recover the $250 thousand.