Attention all homeowners and renters in the city of Snohomish.
Brace yourselves. Your water bill will more than triple (342 percent) by 2029. Your sewer bill will increase 146 percent by 2029. This is the result of the City Council approving Sept. 17 an ordinance establishing utility rates for 2025-29.
So if your water bill now is $200, it will increase to $692 by the year 2029. The council, led by councilwoman Karen Guzak’s arguments, claims the city needs to catch-up on deferred maintenance. However, two big factors are the millions of dollars in utility construction costs for its new civic campus at Third and Pine and the replacement of a water transmission line serving 75 homes in the Machias area, costing an estimated $80 million.
The city now buys its water from the City of Everett and the price is estimated to increase only 4 percent annually.
The mayor and three council members are up for reelection next year and utility rates will be a big issue.
Morgan Davis
Snohomish
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