To better cover operating costs, Carbondale raised utility rates on July 1.
Over the past 8 years, the town hasn’t charged residents enough for utilities. They’ve increased rates by 1.5 percent each year. Officials said those annual increases should have been about double.
Carbondale’s utilities operate on what are called “enterprise funds,” which are not tax based.
The town has decided to impose a six-year “catch up” period. Once the it’s caught up, it plans to align the yearly increases more closely to the 3 percent trend.
What does this actually look like for the consumer? The minimum monthly base rate for water is a little over $18 if you live in town; it’ll go up to $19.23. The per-gallon rates will also go up, but not more than a few cents.