A public hearing on a proposed increase in sewer rates in Hillsboro is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at Hillsboro City Hall, 101 Main St.
The hearing comes after the Board of Alderpersons voted 5-0 on July 6 to approve a 1.5 percent rate increase for water/sewer payments; the increase was to go into effect July 15.
Alderpersons Chris DeGeare (Ward 2), Nancy Maxwell (Ward 3) and Gerald Parrish (Ward 4) were absent from the meeting.
But on Aug. 3, Special Counsel Bianca Eden said the city should have held a public hearing before the sewer increase was approved.
“It has been a while since we did it, so it just slipped through the cracks,” she said.
After the hearing, Eden said the board would officially vote on an ordinance to increase the sewer rate to the amount discussed in July.
City Administrator Jason Daniel said on Sept. 4 that the sewer rates are currently at the pre-July rates and will remain there until the Board of Alderpersons makes a recommendation on Sept. 14.
The proposed monthly sewer service rate is $8.98 inside the city ($13.46 outside) per 1,000 gallons. The current sewer service rate is $8.84 inside the city ($13.26 outside) per 1,000 gallons.
Water/sewer rates were last raised by 3 percent in July 2024.
Public Works Operations Manager Dave Sarver has said the rate increase would allow the city to “keep pace with aging infrastructure, preventative maintenance and water systems innovation, while also accounting for increased material costs and other economic factors.”
At the July 6 meeting, the board also approved an $8 monthly increase on residential trash pickup, raising the charge to $26.50.