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Third Straight Sewer Rate Hike Included as City Adopts Budget

June 17th, 2015 by WCBC Radio

The Cumberland Mayor and City Council formally adopted the city’s 2015-2016 budget Tuesday night- with the highlight being a ten percent increase in sewer rates. Facing a continuing decline in property tax revenue, Cumberland officials said they looked at a bare essentials fiscal year 2016 budget of about $43.4 million, which includes funds for fighting blight, increased costs for employee health care and higher debt payments. The sewer rate hike will be the third year in a row rates have increased. City Administrator Jeff Rhodes said that rates have been unable to keep up with the costs of operating the system and the sewer fund has had to borrow from the water fund and the general fund to make ends meet. A 10 percent increase would raise $926,050 in revenue, allow the sewer fund to pay monies back to the other funds and raise the average utility bill by about $5 a month…





 

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