Mt. Morris Village Board raises base water rate to $22

MOUNT MORRIS – Mount Morris residents can expect to see about a $10 increase on their Aug. 1 water bill.

On June 25, Mount Morris Village Board members unanimously approved raising the monthly base rate for water service from $12.26 to $22, effective July 1. The base rate will rise to $27 on July 1, 2025, to $32 on July 1, 2026, and to $37 on July 1, 2027.

The monthly usage rates are staying the same at $12.26 per 350 cubic feet of water used, $21.01 per 600 cubic feet used and $35.02 per 1,000 cubic feet used, water and sewer Trustee Morgan McConnell said in a June 26 interview.

The last time the water rates were adjusted was 2013, McConnell said. The rates were supposed to be regularly reviewed and adjusted after that but never were, he said.

“One of the reasons why we hadn’t [raised rates] in previous years is because we were running with a surplus [in the water fund],” Village President Phil Labash said. “It’s like everything caught up to us – the aging infrastructure, rising prices – and now, all of a sudden, instead of having a budget surplus, we flip to a budget deficit.”

During the village’s last fiscal year, the water fund had to borrow $50,000 from the sewer fund in order to avoid going into a deficit, village Treasurer Jorden Sasscer said June 26.

On April 30 – the end of the village’s fiscal year – the water fund had $23,200 in it, Sasscer said. The fund should have at least $72,000 in it to maintain a minimum reserve of 25% of annual expenses, she said.

“By raising this rate, it’s going to inject money back into the water fund so we can get needed projects done,” McConnell said.