Longboat water rates drop for second year

The Longboat Key Town Commission will agree to lower water-and-wastewater rates for the second consecutive year at its Thursday, June 17 regular workshop.

At a budget workshop held June 8, the town’s rate consultant, Bryan Mantz, of Public Resource Management Group, concluded that a decrease in utility rates is viable for a second straight year while the town continues to maintain a healthy utility fund.

Overall, Mantz suggests a 1.5% decrease in water rates and 10.5% for wastewater rates — an overall reduction of 6.53%.

For the average town water account user, the proposed rate decrease represents a savings of $78.48 per year for a single-family home using an average of 10,000 gallons of water per month.

The decreases will be effective Oct. 1.

“Because of several factors that have played to our advantage, the town has been able to recommend lowering the water-and-wastewater rates starting Oct. 1,” said Public Works Director Juan Florensa.

The commission reduced water-and-wastewater rates by 9.3% in fiscal year 2009.

By comparison, the town’s rate consultant showed a chart listing 25 other municipalities that have raised water-and-wastewater rates due to revenue shortfalls.

“Longboat Key customers got a good deal for water rates for the second year in a row during tough economic times,” Florensa said.