Jim Hager
Lake Santeetlah – A local municipality is planning to maintain the status quo for the 2024-25 budget, while slightly bumping up its water-usage rates, all in the name of planning ahead.
The Town of Lake Santeetlah has affirmed that its millage rate will remain .209, but officials have penciled in a base-rate increase for water usage to $155. Consumption will tick up to $4.55 per 1,000 gallons used as well.
Lake Santeetlah performs its usage billing quarterly. The town confirmed Monday that it has about 198 water customers.
During a special council meeting May 7, Town Administrator Kim Matheson said that knowledge handed down at a recent training session – which was attended by council members and staff alike – spurned the increase.
“One of the things brought up several times was making sure your enterprise fund has enough money to cover any expenses that you feel like you are going to have for the town, and also that fees need to be re-evaluated yearly to make sure they are covering expenses,” Matheson said.
Lake Santeetlah replaced some of its water lines in 2023 through a Golden LEAF Foundation grant, but costly maintenance still lies ahead.
Council member Jim Hager estimated a $40,000 bill for replacing batteries in all the water meters, while Matheson tacked on the need for repairs to the town’s two water tanks at some point in the next two fiscal cycles.
“The increase will help raise town reserves to cover those expenses,” Matheson said.
Other examples cited for the increase were the uptick in chemical and electrical costs. Matheson also implemented a $100 pay increase for the town’s operator-in-responsible-charge, since a raise for that position had not occurred in several years.
Ad valorem (millage) income will remain in a 80/20 split, between the general and water fund.
Along with the water-bill increases, other highlights from the budget include:
* A 5 percent cost-of-living increase for town employees;
* An additional $40,000 for paving, which will help compliment $40,000 already sitting in a capital reserve fund for roads. A recent estimate to pave three roads within the city limits was $66,000;
* Each member of the council is deferring their respective monthly salaries to help build a scholarship fund for a Robbinsville High School student. The amount the effort will net is $6,000.