Aldermen expected to approve water rate hike

The Ashland Board of Aldermen were expected to approve another water/sewer rate hike at Tuesday’s city hall meeting.

According to City Administrator Lyn Woolford, this is a “planned rate increase” which must be adopted by the city before they can close on the state revolving fund loan which will provide funding for building the new mechanical sewer plant.

The increase will hike base water rates from $18.90 per month to $23.00 – a nearly 18% increase – and a per-thousand gallon rate increase from $4.78 to $5.00.

“This will be, I believe, our final rate increase, dependent upon the construction costs,” Woolford said. “We will discover what those costs will be in January.”

The City will be requesting bids for the next several weeks and will break ground after the first of the year. The water/sewer project will serve Ashland and growth in the northern portion of the city.