Fairfield residents could see increase in water rates

The final shaping of the 2012-2013 Fairfield city budget approved by the ways and means committee Thursday night included a 2 percent increase in water rates for residential users effective July 1 and a 50 percent reduction of the 27 cents per $1,000 taxable valuation emergency levy rate.

A proposed 3 percent increase in the city?s residential sewer rate was rejected by the ways and means committee when it was realized the sewer budget did not include $197,500 from the allotted 25 percent of the Local Option Sales Tax revenue.

All recommendations by the ways and means committee must be approved by the full city council to become part of the city?s 2012-2013 budget.

The water rate increase would be used for main replacement projects and would cost customers approximately 95 cents per month on average usage of 6,000 gallons per month. An average bill would increase from $39.50 to $40.45 monthly. The proposal to increase the sewer rate from $52.80 to $53.90 on an average bill was not approved by the committee.

Water rates charged by Fairfield to surrounding towns would not be changed at the current time.

The emergency levy rate was reduced from 27 cents to 13.5 cents by a 2-1 vote of the committee. Committee members Connie Boyer and John Revolinski voted for the cut, and Daryn Hamilton opposed the move.

The emergency fund generates $71,000 in revenue that would be trimmed to $35,500. City administrator Jeff Clawson said the difference would be made up by a 2 percent drop in payroll tax [Federal Insurance Contribution Act] that was not accounted for in city employee wages for the coming fiscal year.

?Frankly, it?s important to me for the city to be as efficient as possible to taxpayers,? said Revolinski. ?We have another meeting to take another look at this.?

Hamilton said the emergency levy rate reduction was ?short-term thinking? when the city?s economic plan is a ?long-term operation.?

The move to consolidate the fire chief and city code enforcement officer into a single full-time position was questioned by Revolinski, but supported for its efficiency by Hamilton, Clawson and Mayor Ed Malloy.

?I see the value in things that are tough to evaluate in dollars,? said Clawson. ?The move will benefit both positions.?