Rachel Rosen reports from the Oak Harbor City Council meeting on Tue., Sep. 20, 2022.
In what may be a first in Oak Harbor, utility rates for residents will lower by an average of $4.41 a month in 2023 and remain at the same level in 2024 and 2025 due to a decrease in the sewer rate.
They Said It
“I just want to make sure we’re not going to have to play catch up,” Councilmember Jim Woessner said and asked how the city was able to lower the sewer rate.
Councilmember Bryan Stucky said the city had been considering a utility rate increase, so lowering the rate, even by a few dollars, was an improvement.
“This is not a great accomplishment but hopefully the start of turning things in the right direction,” he said.
Councilmember Shane Hoffmire said this was a great improvement from the monthly utility rates that were projected to rise by approximately $31.07 from 2023 to 2027, as reported byThe News-Timesin October of 2020.
“A $4.14 decrease might not be much but it’s so much better than the alternative,” Hoffmire said.
Councilmember Beth Munns and Woessner brought up concerns about the city’s $116 million debt still owed on the wastewater treatment facility. Woessner said he was concerned that the lowering rate may prevent the city from completing projects such as replacing the water line on Whidbey Avenue.
“We have much work to do beyond this first step,” Hoffmire wrote in a statement afterward. “The debt service for the $116 million still owed on the treatment plant is a burden that should have never been imposed upon this community. Knowing that $91 million of that debt comes in the form of state revolving fund loans, continuing to push for the forgiveness of some of these loans must remain a mission.”
Hoffmire previously promised not to vote for a rate increase in the next four years.
During the meeting, Hoffmire said a project like the wastewater treatment plant normally would have been 50% grant funded but Oak Harbor only received 2%.
“We need some help,” he said. “There has to be some forgiveness on these state revolving fund loans.”
