By Steven Stilt
The Wamac City Council on Monday evening approved rate increases for the community’s water and sewer customers.
Mayor Jackie “Butch” Mathus explained that the increases follow rate hikes impacting the City of Centralia.
“We’re a satellite customer for the City of Centralia. They had to raise their rates on customers, so we had to raise our rates as well, unfortunately. … The average customer is going to be paying about a dollar more a month for their water bills.”
Water rates will increase by 28 cents per 1,000 gallons for those customers within Wamac city limits and by 35 cents per 1,000 gallons for the small number of customers that are outside city limits. Sewer rates will rise by 4 cents per 1,000 gallons.
In other action, the council approved the city’s annual appropriations ordinance. The ordinance includes $1,753,224.90 in expenditures. Mathus says city officials made an effort to keep costs down, noting that the new appropriations ordinance is just 1.775 percent higher than last year’s.
The council also voted to accept a sealed bid of just over $1,200 for property located at 324 Kroger Street and approved the city’s purchase of property at 1206 Dover Street in the amount of $750.
Mathus reminded those in attendance about the upcoming Wamac Fest, which will take place on Saturday, September 20th, at Wamac City Park. A barbecue fundraiser lunch will be held on Friday, September 5th, at Wamac City Hall, with proceeds benefiting Wamac Fest.
