City budget
- City may reverse course on cuts to T (08-07-07)
- City budget shortfall puts skate park addition on hold (08-01-07)
- T hours likely to be cut
- Pool fee proposal revised (07-24-07)
- Developer seeks expansion into city parking lot (07-24-07)
- Numbers still fuzzy on city budget (07-16-07)
- Amyx sees sales tax as road rescue (07-17-07)
Live coverage
City Hall reporter Chad Lawhorn will provide live coverage of the city budget, the Wal-Mart debate and more, tonight at 6:35 p.m.
It is about more than just your taxes. When city commissioners meet tonight to finalize the 2008 budget, they'll also be increasing several fees that Lawrence residents must pay.
Monthly sewer bills are expected to increase by about 6 percent, water bills by about 5 percent and trash collection fees by about 4 percent.
The fee increases are on top of a proposed property tax increase of 0.425 mill. City commissioners are still looking for ways to eliminate the property tax increase, but the fee increases look certain to go through.
"Anytime you talk about fees, you have to look at the quality of service that we're providing," said Commissioner Mike Amyx, who is among the commissioners looking to avoid the property tax increase. "It costs money to provide the quality of service that we do."
The fee increases will cost Lawrence residents a few extra dollars a month. Here's a look at each:
l The combined water and sewer bill for a family using about 6,000 gallons of water per month would increase from $55.78 to $58.69. A family using 10,000 gallons a month - not atypical for people watering lawns - would increase from $85.90 to $90.05 per month.
l Monthly trash rates for residential users would increase from $12.19 to $12.68. The minimum monthly commercial rate would increase from $17.72 to $18.43.
In addition, charges for system development fees - also called impact fees - will increase by about 7 percent. The impact fees are paid by people building new homes or businesses that require a new connection to the city's sewer or water system.
The one-time fees are designed to help the city pay for costs - such as plant expansions and new water towers - that are attributed to growth. The total impact fee for sewer and water connections are proposed to increase from $2,660 to $2,870.
Residents outside Lawrence may feel the bite of fee increases more than Lawrence residents. That's because the city sells treated water to Baldwin City and several rural water districts in Douglas County. Staff members are recommending the wholesale rate charged to those large customers increase by 13 percent, as opposed to the 5 percent increase for Lawrence residents.
The city provides wholesale water service to Baldwin City and Rural Water District Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 13.
Scott Schultz, district administrator for Rural Water District No. 4 near Baldwin City, said patrons should expect an increase in water rates due to the higher Lawrence rate. He said he is optimistic that he won't have to pass the full 13 percent increase along to customers, but he said the increase would be more than the average annual increase of about 3 percent.
Schultz, though, said he thought the increase from Lawrence was fair. He said the new rates are similar those the water district pays to Johnson County Water District No. 6.
Comments
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jmadison (anonymous) says…
All 3 increases are greater than the rate of inflation measured by the CPI. Lawrence not only sticks it to the taxpayers with high property taxes and sales taxes, but the monopoly services provided by the city cost higher than the rate of inflation. Notice that the average sewer bill is not reported in the article.
VoiceOfReason (anonymous) says…
Only a "few dollars" here and a "slightly higher" fee there...and pretty soon you're paying thousands more than a few years ago and no one can figure out why the brand new houses in town are sitting empty for two years instead of selling. Morons.
ksdivakat (anonymous) says…
Lawrence, will you at least provide the KY as I bend over and take another one for you???
skinny (Richard Johnson) says…
We already have one of the highest rates in the state, Enough is enough!! Look at the water run off fee they charge us. I have never heard of such a thing till we moved to Lawrence.
If this passes Mike won't be cutting my hair any more!!!
cowboy (anonymous) says…
Elect the checker playing chicken to make these decisions , odds are 50% the chicken would reject at least 1 out of every two tax and fee increases.
Add to the commission that old frog from the wetlands , maybe the cougar that roams around campus and a couple farm animals.
They could do no worse than the current city staff and commission.
cowboy (anonymous) says…
Arnold Ziffle for commission ,( the green acres pig for you youngsters), and Mr. Haney for head of the C of C
craigers (anonymous) says…
skinny I have to agree with you. Even when I try to conserve on water, I end up paying the same every month. We will probably all end up paying another 10% when this is over. And you might want to just go up the street to Downtown Barber Shop, they are still Amyx's but it is a nice place to get your hair cut.
Coach_Eric (anonymous) says…
Property Taxes? Up.
Water/Trash rate? Up.
Sales Tax? Up.
Population? Down.
Any more questions, city commission? Keep raising taxes/fees, and keep watching people leave.
The constant raising rates of everything disgusts me. This is idiotic and will be nothing but detrimental to Lawrence, long term. But why consider the future, eh, city commission?
Bubbles (anonymous) says…
Rural trash collectors are private enterprises that are cost conscience. That's why they use one man per trash truck.
Why does Lawrence use 3?
cowboy (anonymous) says…
maybe they ought to defer construction of the new treatment plant since we aren't growing and don't need it , naw , that would make too much sense wouldn't it ?
sourpuss (anonymous) says…
Lawrence uses three because the population in a town is much more dense, and so one guy drives and two guys on the back hit each side of the street. One guy would never get his route done. As well, heavy items often need two men to lift (like a sofa). You can burn in the country, but we can't in the city.
As for fees, you get what you pay for, so if I get good service, I don't mind. The water is good, the trash collectors are efficient.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
ksdivakat (anonymous) says…
So heres a thought....why cant we get them out of there (city commissioners) and vote in a whole new group???
Coach_Eric (anonymous) says…
Ah Jack, you exposed the hidden hypocrisy in my argument (I'm in favor of PLAY). Do you know my fiancee?!? She does the same thing to me, lol...
What I should have taken more time to say was that I'm upset that the city is so unable to manage it's finances without having to consistently - every year - pass the "short falls" on to the citizens. I just feel that the burden I bear as someone who owns a home in Lawrence, who works in Lawrence and who shops in Lawrence is getting darn near too great. At some point, the pendulum will have to swing back the other way. I just fear that Lawrence is nearing the point of no return, where people won't move here because of the exorbitant tax rates and current citizens leave here for the same reasons.
Who knows I guess. I'm just tired of seeing all these increases across the board. It can't continue indefinitely...
pace (anonymous) says…
This raise would make more sense if they had at least included curbside pickup for papers and cardboards. Why should we pay to haul that to the landfill, It is in every home and business .. If not once a week at least once a month. We could contract for that collection. It would increase capacity for the trash runs. Paper and cardboards should be picked up curbside. The city picks up cardboard for many businesses,
it might makes for better collection to keep mixed paper seperate from newspaper, that means two sacks. Paper has a good market, plastics, glass are more expensive to collect curbside and have very erratic markets. I want curbside collection for papers and cardboards, if you think that it is better to send materials to be reused than to continually pay higher and higher fees to landfill good recyclable materials, tell a comissioner.
justthefacts (anonymous) says…
Again and again I say (but officials only hear what they want)...stop forcing people to leave your community or admit that you only want the rich to live here!!!
People on fixed incomes or with limited abilities to earn more are not able to absorb more taxes (or fees increased to avoid direct taxation hikes). Instead of trying to increase revenues to government coffers how about some good old belt tightening?? There must surely be some excess fat that could be cut? If not, it's time to start sorting out the necessary from desirable government funded programs. For example, I bet we could do without a few county staff members who help make the commissioner's jobs easier?
We as a government and people cannot continue robbing Peter (the future) to pay Paul (for wants now). Living on credit is going to ruin us all. There is an end to how much we can spend. And we are fast reaching it.
I'm going to start looking for another community, one that doesn't tax and fee people right out of the ability to afford staples. It makes me sad, but I won't be able to afford to live in Lawrence much longer if this keeps up! Thanks a lot elected officials.