*April 2024 Utility Rate and Low-Income Discount Program Updates*

DID YOU KNOW?

The rates you pay with your utility bill sustain three independent business units of the City.

The sewer, stormwater, and water utilities are all managed independently for financial sustainability, as utilities are core services provided by local government. Periodically, rates are evaluated to ensure the utility is sustainable.

Our City sewer system is vital to public health and keeping our water clean. In the next five years, the collection system, wastewater treatment plant, and compost facility are in need of $20 million dollars in City investments in addition to approximately $10 million dollars in grants. To help our community understand these investments, we have released a video about the needs to keep our system operational. Watch the eight-minute video on our YouTube channel. Curious for more details? Take a deeper dive into the General Sewer Plan in the EngagePT section of our website.

For City of Port Townsend utility connections, you will see changes to your Utility Bill this spring, with rates increasing April 1, based on City Council decisions in February. Decisions on rates, Utility Tax, and an expansion of the Low-Income Discount Program are complex topics that matter to all of us. We invite you to learn more about all of these changes and the investments in our utilities.

DID YOU KNOW?

Utility tax is one of the largest sources of revenue for the City's General Fund.

Utility Tax, despite the name, does not fund our utility capital expenses. Those investments are funded by utility rates. Utility tax, along with sales tax, property tax and B&O tax pays for the majority of general governmental services such as police, parks, facilities, administration, legal, planning and many other elements of city government.

Updated utility rates and reduced utility tax to be reviewed by Council on Tuesday, February 20 - Referenced in the agenda, linked below:

VIII. Unfinished Business / C. Ordinance 3330 / iii. Council Deliberation and Action / AB24-040

Low-Income Discount Program - COMING SOON