Summary: In one pocket and out another. Willow Park citizens will see an increase in their utility bills. The city council has approved increases to water rates, wastewater rates, and additional fees that will increase your utility bill yearly for each of the next three years. Based on the postulates of no increase of rates since 2017 and of rising construction and debt costs for the new Waste Water Treatment Plant, the city's elected leaders chose to increase the City's utility bill rates.
Latest Update: Tuesday, 12 September, 2023
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In one pocket and out another. WP Citizen utility bill increases, on the heals of the City's (celebrated) tax decrease.
Willow Park citizens will see an increase their utility bills. The city council has approved increases to wastewater rates, and additional fees that will increase your utility bill annually for each of the next three years.
Based on the postulates of no increase of rates since 2017 and of rising construction and debt costs for the new Waste Water Treatment Plant, the city's elected leaders chose to increase the City's utility bill rates.
These rate increases come directly after the City Council's celebration of "record" property tax decreases. So while the City brags of tax decreases, Citizens will have the new tax line item to EDS1 for fire and rescue services and new utility fees.
Willow Park Civics Blog > Willow Park Property Tax for 2023 and the Devil in the Details, 10 August 2023.
Note: Those Willow Park citizens who live in leased or rented houses or apartments will not escape the utility bill increases, since Commercial Utility Rates will be increased, also.
During the 12 September 2023 Council Meeting, discussed these increased rates and fees during...
9. Discussion/Action: to adopt an ordinance of the City Council of the City of Willow Park, Texas, adopting a Comprehensive Fee and Rate Schedule for the following Enterprise Fund Utility Rates/Services/Charges for Fiscal Year 2023/24, including
• Water Impact Fees
• Water Tap Fees
• Wastewater Impact Fees
• Wastewater Tap Fees
• Drainage Impact Fees
• Utility Deposits/Fees
• Water Base Rates
• Water Volumetric Charges
• Wastewater Rates
• Solid Waste Rates
Additional Utility Services Charges, and Water Meter Costs
• Presentation Highlights: Changes
• include the increase on the sewer rate as proposed by New Gen from
• $20.00 to $24.80 for residential and
• $20.00 to $31.74 for commercial.
• The volumetric charge will increase from
• $5.15 to $6.39 for residential and
• $8.18 for Commercial. (See agenda item 9 for addition information on commercial volumetric charge.)
During this meeting, the city emphasized the main purpose of the Comprehensive Fee and Rate Schedule was to "make the wastewater fund whole over the next three years."
During the 22 August 2023 Council Meeting (agenda item 8. Discussion/Action: to accept the water and wastewater study from NewGen Strategies and Solutions) NewGen Strategies and Solutions presented their recommendations for increased City utility fees. Full presentation in .pdf; 27:59 in the council video.
"Willow Park had not increased either rate since 2017 as was recommended by NewGen in that year. We have been transferring money from the water account to the wastewater fund to offset deficit. Several factors are used to determine the rates needed to have a positive balance in both funds, these factors include number of customers, debt service, construction improvement projects. Due to rising costs in the water and wastewater systems and construction of a must needed wastewater plant we asked for a three-year model to make both funds financially healthy." Meeting Agenda Item 8.
• Willow Park Civics Research
• Willow Park Park > City Services > Wastewater Journal of Wastewater
• Proposed water rate hike would help replace 800 miles of old pipe in Fort Worth, NBCDFW, 07 September 2023