The Salem City Council Tuesday night agreed to a yearly 2.5-percent increase in water and sewer rates and a one-time garbage collection rate increase of $1 in April.
City Manager Annette Sola says the yearly water rate increase is needed to pay for chemical cost increases and infrastructure improvements.
Mayor Nic Farley explained the impact on residents.
“The average home uses about 3,000 gallons of water per month, so it would increase their water bill roughly $1.50 per month,” Farley said. “We’re looking at that to be 2.5-percent, as we said as an annual review, just with cost of chemicals and everything.”
The $1 garbage rate increase matches the $1 a month more per customer the city will pay when Sunrise Sanitation begins offering totes to city residents to place their trash.
Sola anticipates landfill closure costs could be less in future years as a solar farm is placed on part of the land. That could eventually allow garbage rates to come down.
Sola also announced there are now 35 candidates for Salem Police Chief. The city’s consultant will interview the top nine by phone on Saturday to further narrow the field of finalists that will then go to the city council.
42 have now applied to be city manager to replace Sola when she retires at the end of June.
