Water rates to rise July 1 in Sylvania

5/29/2003

Users of water in the city of Sylvania system will have their rates increased beginning July 1 because of an anticipated increase in charges from the city of Toledo.

Sylvania city council approved a proposal from Jeff Ballmer, city service director, that the rates go up 4 percent per year in four increments ending with a hike Jan. 1, 2006.

Mr. Ballmer said the increase is necessary to keep up with the rate jump by Toledo. The last Sylvania increase was in December, 2000, which was also due to a change in Toledo's rate schedule.

The current charge per 1,000 gallons of use is $3.60. That will increase to $3.70 for the same amount of water beginning in July. That rate will jump to $3.80 on Jan. 1, 2004, and another dime on each of the next two New Year's days.

Jim Moan, city law director, said that if Toledo fails to enact a hike or if the rate is different from what is expected, Sylvania's council can alter the recently-passed measure.