Lake Forest officials recently approved a series of rate hikes on consumers as part of an effort to offset a budget shortfall, officials said.
The rate increases, which go into effect May 1, affect all three tiers of the city’s water service usage, said Finance Director Elizabeth Holleb. For consumers in Lake Forest who use between 10,000 to 60,000 gallons of water a quarter, they can expect to pay $61 more annually, she said.
The tier represents the city’s largest group of water users with 4,500 accounts. The city’s second largest group — consumers who use up to 10,000 gallons of water a quarter — can expect to see a $27 annual increase, Holleb said.
The least populated tier, covering high usage of more than 60,000 gallons, is set to see a $223 increase, which affects only 460 accounts, Holleb said.
Going forward, Holleb said city staff may explore expanding the number of tiers to better reflect overall usage.
Holleb said the city expects almost $175,000 to be collected through the rate hikes. The revenue will be directed into the city’s water fund, which is projected to have a budget shortfall this year of around $650,000.
Holleb said the budget deficit is a result of a wet spring combined with a five-year decline in overall water consumption, which she attributed to better water management efforts like improved plumbing.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
