Monroe holds public hearings on 2016 budget

Published 6:46 pm Wednesday, October 21, 2015

MONROE — The city of Monroe plans public hearings on the 2016 preliminary budget at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 and Nov. 17 at City Hall. It is a balanced, status-quo budget, said Finance Director Dianne Nelson.

The preliminary budget does not include any tax increases for next year.

The City Council has tentatively agreed on utility increases to pay for maintenance and upgrades.

The city is likely to change the structure of the rates so they are more equitable for the largest group of utility customers, Nelson said. Those who use more will pay more and those who use less will pay less under the proposed system, she said.

Overall, the council wants to increase the revenue from its water system by 7.5 percent each year through 2023.

Sewer revenue would remain the same. But revenue from stormwater would rise by 4 percent a year through 2021.