Oswego, NY -- Residents of Oswego will see sewer rates go up between 50 percent and 69 percent next year. The Common Council Monday night approved raising rates that will go into effect Jan. 1. The flat rate will go from $78 a quarter to $117 a quarter, a 50 percent increase. The metered base rate will go from $54...
Oswego, NY -- Residents of Oswego will see sewer rates go up between 50 percent and 69 percent next year.
The Common Council Monday night approved raising rates that will go into effect Jan. 1. The flat rate will go from $78 a quarter to $117 a quarter, a 50 percent increase. The metered base rate will go from $54 a quarter to $91 a quarter, a 69 percent hike.
The increases cover all residences and businesss in the city. About 4,000 are on the flat rate and about 2,080 are on the metered system.
Mayor Randolph Bateman said the council and city had no choice but to approve the rate increases. The consent decree settling federal claims against the city of Oswego concerning the release of sewage into the Oswego River mandates the sewer department must be self sustaining — meaning all expenses must be covered by revenue.
Bateman said this past year, expenses exceeded money coming in by $1.3 million. The general fund had to cover any monetary losses in the department.
The consent decree was signed by a federal judge last week. The decree in the case of United States and State of New York versus the City of Oswego was filed in U.S. District Court May 12.
The decree stated the city was fined $99,000 by the state and federal governments for releasing sewage into the Oswego River.
Also in the decree is the work Oswego has to do to ensure sewage no longer goes into the river.
This summer, the city began the first part of a 12-year series of projects to correct two sources of sewage discharge.
The two areas are: a section of pipe that is a combined sanitary and groundwater system that runs from West Sixth Street east to the river; and a sanitary sewer system west of West Sixth Street.
Contact Debra J. Groom at dgroom@syracuse.com, 470-3254 or 251-5586.