The Rockford City Council modified recent increases in water and wastewater rates after an angry town meeting where some residents complained of dramatically higher bills.
The west metro town on Monday outlined the changes online at www.cityofrockford.org/2014/09/15/important-utility-rate-change-information. The modifications delay some rate increases and spread them out over time.
The council also agreed to remove one provision that had angered residents that changed the way summertime sewer bills were calculated. Residents now can choose a formula that bases their summertime sewer bills on their average water use in the winter or they can have their summer sewer bills based on their own actual summertime water usage.
Many residents at the town meeting had urged the city to keep the averaging method rather than impose the new actual use method, which would have required many homeowners to pay hundreds of dollars to get "deduct meters" to record water used outdoors that doesn't go through the sewer system.
The changes in water and sewer rates in Rockford are part of the town's ongoing effort to erase a serious deficit in its utility fund. The financial pressures are about to increase with debt service on a $4.795 million bond issue that will finance two utility projects.
Susan Feyder
