Marblehead plans to increase water rates

MARBLEHEAD — For the first time in 15 years, Marblehead village residents can expect an increase in their water bills following a recent assessment from the government's finance committee. Marblehead Mayor John Starcher said that the village's finance committee believes that the current water rates will cause the village to start losing money. He said an increase is needed to keep up with operation costs. "A rate study was performed by the Ohio Regional Community Assistance Program to assist us with calculating the proper level to which water rates should be adjusted," Starcher said. Starcher said that the village follows a rate schedule, which covers things like meter size and usage above the minimum rate. For example, for residents with a three-fourths inch service line, the minimum fee is $27 a month, which provides up to 3,500 gallons of water and a $3 monthly repair and assessment fee. The average cost for residents is $30 a month. Based on the village's initial results from the study, the new cost for residential customers would be around $53 a month, which includes a minimum rate and monthly repair and assessment fees. Starcher said the study's results were preliminary, and no final decision has yet been made on the rate increase or the schedule on which the increases would be implemented. "Final numbers have not been established yet for the proposed rate increase as we are still studying the issue," Starcher said. Although no exact date has been set for the final decision, Starcher said that he expects the village's finance committee and council to reach a decision within the next few months. The village's water department oversees the day-to-day operations and is under direct supervision by the village administrator, Jeff White. In terms of financial oversight, Starcher said that these decisions fall on the village council. Starcher said that Ohio law specifies that the village's water fund must be 100% self-funded and that they are not permitted to use any money from the general fund to help and support the water fund. All revenue generated by the water rates is used "to fund the operation of the water system, including plant operations, salaries of water department personnel, debt service, tools and equipment and so on," he said. "If no increase in revenue is generated, the water system will no longer be self-supporting," Starcher said. "To draw a comparison to the private sector, a business that spends more than it brings in will very quickly go out of business."