Copperas Cove city council scheduled to vote Sept. 1 on utility rate changes, eliminating senior discount

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

After several discussions during meetings this summer and as recently as Aug. 18, the Copperas Cove City will be voting on utility rate changes during its Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting.

The rate changes include increases along with rate reductions, and would also eliminate the senior citizen discount.

The proposed increases would affect both the water and sewer base rates, which are both $14, as well as the monthly drainage fee (currently $6), and the solid waste, or trash collection, fee (currently $19).

The water and sewer base rates would increase to $20 each, per month.

The monthly drainage fee would increase to $7 and the solid waste fee would increase to $19.83.

All of the above charges would increase residential utility customers’ bills, to include base rates, solid waste, and drainage fees from $53 to $66.83 per month.

Once utility customers turn on their faucets, it will cost them less for the water they use, both for water and sewer volumetric rates.

Presently, the water usage volumetric rate is $4.74 per 1,000 gallons, but that cost would go down to $4 per 1,000 gallons.

The sewer volumetric rate is currently $5.75 per 1,000 gallons, but would decrease to $4.85 per 1,000 gallons. With the proposed rate changes, residential customers who use less water will see their bills increase overall.

A residential customer using 5,000 gallons would see their bill, before taxes, go from $103.13 to up to $110.58 per month.

Customers using 10,000 gallons of water per month would see their bill go down to $155.33, from $158 at the current rates.

Those who use 20,000 gallons per month would see an even greater savings, going from $262 to $243.38 monthly. 

The changes would take effect Oct. 1. 

Also at Tuesday’s council meeting, there is an executive session on the agenda for the council to meet with the city attorney to have a discussion about the senior discount.

The much-dicussed senior citizen discount of 20 percent and the legality thereof, the subject of much discussion and debate over the past several years, will be eliminated if the council goes forward with the consensus the arrived at during the council's Åug. 18 meeting.

Previously, the council had discussed dropping the discount from 20 percent to 15 percent for utility customers over 60 years of age. Last year, the council voted to cap the senior discount at 5,000 gallons for water and sewer volumetric charges but left the discount intact for all other utility bill fees.

The public may participate in this meeting by calling (888) 475-4499 and use meeting ID 9866029818, with passcode 2545474221.

The public will be permitted to offer public comments by phone as permitted by the presiding officer during the meeting. Written questions or comments may be submitted up to two hours before the meeting via email to Lisa Wilson, City Secretary at lwilson@copperascovetx.gov.