The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Starting next year, Flin Flonners can expect to dig deeper into their pockets to cover their utility bills. The City is studying how large of an increase is needed to keep pace with expenses, hoping to apply for a utility rate hike by the end of the year. The high operational costs associated with the new secondary sewage treatment plant are a major factor behind the planned increase. When the sophisticated plant becomes operational in Sept. 2005, the City's waste water treatment budget will rise from about $50,000 per year to as high as $500,000. "Which is a lot of money when you consider our total operating revenue is only $2 million," said municipal administrator Larry Fancy. "That would be a 25 per cent hit right there." Utility bills have not gone up since 1990 and, Fancy said, are perhaps the lowest in the province. City engineering and financing staff have nearly completed their study on what size of increase is necessary. Once the report is finalized, the City plans to apply to the Public Utilities Board for a boost. The City plans to phase in the increase over two or three years beginning in 2005. Flin Flonners on the flat rate system pay an average of just under $100 on utilities every three months. Those with meters pay according to the amount of water they consume.
