The Salem City Council Monday night approved higher natural gas rates designed to collect $1.7-million dollars a year to help pay for maintenance of the system.
Finance Director Kelli Roth says for residential customers meter costs will increase $11 per month. For business customers, there will be some adjustment for meter cost and a small increase in the cost of each therm of natural gas used.
Roth noted because of the much lower cost per therm of gas negotiated by the city with its supplier for the coming winter, any customer using more than 84 therms of gas a month will actually still pay less compared to the rates last winter.
The new rate structure will take effect on January first.
