Odessa City leaders consider raising water, trash rates

Odessa City leaders consider raising water, trash rates

ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Odessa City Council met Tuesday to discuss a myriad of issues, including the proposed 2024/2025 fiscal year budget. One item of interest was a proposed rate increase on utility costs.

City leaders said it would need to raise water and sewer rates by 3%.

“The Water and Sewer revenues for FY 2024‐25 are projected at $79,999,152, and operating expenditures are estimated at $81,339,272.  There will be a 3.0% rate increase in water and sewer rates implemented with this proposed budget. The City also took on a new Water Lease Debt that will be covered by these inflationary rate increase,” the proposal read.

As for the rates for trash pick-up, the City said it would need to raise the rates by 3.5%.

“Solid Waste revenues for FY  2024‐25 are estimated at $17,494,129, and operating expenditures are budgeted at $20,134,327. There will be a 3.5% increase in solid waste rates implemented in the upcoming fiscal year to help offset increased costs for maintenance and operations,” the proposal read.

This increase comes on the heels of a citywide reduction in trash services; City leaders reduced trash services from twice weekly to once a week pick up over the last year because of issues with trash trucks, many of which have been pulled from service because of maintenance issues. While the City said it has replaced many of the garbage trucks, it is still waiting for others to arrive, and overflowing dumpsters have been an ongoing issue for months.

If these rate hikes are approved it will mean an overall 18% increase in utility costs when compare to 2020 levels.

The proposed budget has not yet passed and was only proposed this week. Anyone opposed to these increases need to make their voices heard at the next City Council meeting scheduled for September 10.

Other items of note on the proposed budget include a decrease in sworn peace officers from 155 to 145, and a huge increase to the budget, to the tune of nearly a million dollars, set aside for the City Manager’s office which includes an increase in personnel in the City’s media department with the addition four new communication positions, including a multi-media specialist and a multi-media journalist.

You’ll find the proposed budget here .

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