HAZARD – The Hazard City Commission held its first vote on increasing both water and sewage rates for their customers last week during their monthly meeting.

City Manager Paul Feltner recommended to the council that both water and sewage rates be increased by 50 cents per 1000 gallons. Feltner explained that with the cost of electric, chemicals, and materials rising it would be in the city’s best interest to increase the rates because these expenses weren’t forecasted when the city’s budget was being drawn up.

The increase was unanimously passed by the council.

“We don’t want to increase the rates on anyone, but we can’t go out of business,” explained Mayor Bill Gorman.

Currently, the rate sits at $7.87 per 2,000 gallons of water, while the new rate will be $8.87 per 2,000 gallons. The current sewage rate is $3.06 per 1,000 gallons and the new rate will be $3.56 per 1,000 gallons.

Feltner told the Herald last week that he hopes to have the increase in place as soon as possible.

“I hope we can get the council together soon so we can hopefully get this started this next billing cycle,” he said.

Paul Townes with City Hall expressed that the Perry County Sanitation District 1 has already seen a rate increase of 21 cents per 1,000 gallons of sewage. Townes said that the district will see that increase on their September 23 bill.

However, Sanitation District 1 Chairman Jim Sidwell expressed that he has not yet received the rate increase. Sidwell says that he is not sure at this time if the rate change will directly increase the current rate of their customers yet, however, he says that he will have to bring this increase to the sanitation district’s board.