$5.2M more in utility rates, plus a 25% water hike

Jackson’s utility bill is about to jump in a very measurable way. The Town Council gave second reading approval to Ordinance B, and the May 18 packet says third reading would cement a 25% increase in water base and volume charges, a 10% increase in sewer base and volume charges, a 5.2% bump in water and sewer capacity fees, a 5.2% hike to the 3 Creek Capital Replacement Charge, and a 10% increase in septic dump fees. Staff say the package is built on existing use data and a new master meter structure, and that the bigger bills are meant to fund capital improvements and reestablish the Water Fund balance.

That is the kind of move that matters because it lands on every utility customer, not just new development. The staff report says council already reviewed the rate math on March 16, then approved second reading on May 4, leaving third reading as the final step. If council signs off, the town will have turned a utility cleanup into a broad-based rate increase, with the heaviest lift sitting on water users and anyone trying to tie into the system.