Rates to hold steady

Pottstown Borough Authority adopts preliminary budgets for water, sewer systems

POTTSTOWN » Although borough residents may have a potential double digit tax hike looming over their heads, at least the water/sewer bill is not going up.

On Oct. 17, the Pottstown Borough Authority adopted preliminary budgets for its water and sewer systems — which also serve users in West Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove and Upper Pottsgrove.

According to Finance Director Janice Lee, the combined water budget is set at $6,884,272 for 2018 and no rate hike is anticipated.

The water rate was increased in July of this year, with the average bill going up 14 percent.

The residential base rate for being connected to the water system was raised from $35 per quarter to $41 per quarter — a 17 percent increase

The usage rate was increased from $2.78 per 748 gallons to $3.05 per 748 gallons a 9.7 percent hike.

Taken together, that will increase the average household’s quarterly bill by 14 percent, from $62.80 to $71.50 — a $34.80 increase over the course of a year.

The combined sewer budget for 2018 adds up to $11,606,843, said Lee. It also calls for no increase in fees.

However, Lee cautioned that the budgets are preliminary.

Not only must both budgets be ultimately approved by borough council, borough hall does not yet have figures for 2018 health insur-

ance rates, and that could alter the numbers, she said.

As for the tax hike, which Pottstown Borough Manager Mark Flanders indicated last month could be as high as 23 percent, there has been no word and a smattering of public discussion on council.

The next meeting of council’s finance committee, where most of those discussions occur, is currently scheduled for Nov. 8, one day after the general election.

It was revealed last month that Pottstown Borough Council President Dan Weand asked council Vice President Sheryl Miller to resign from the finance committee because she is not running for reelection and will not have to be in office to face the consequences of the 2018 budget.

Miller refused and turned the tables on Weand, saying of he loses his reelection bid on Nov. 7, he should resign from the finance committee. Weand is opposed by Republican Jennifer Green.