City of Clovis votes to raise water rates by 60% over 3 years

CLOVIS, CA (KFSN) -- Water bills are going up successful the City of Clovis.

"It's going to beryllium hard for immoderate people," says Marge, Clovis Resident.

Rate increases were passed Monday nighttime pursuing a failed bulk protest, during which metropolis residents were fixed their last accidental to formed a ballot against the move.

The metropolis held respective assemblage meetings and past sent retired mailers connected March 3rd, but lone 76 households wrote successful protest.

Starting January of 2027, ratepayers tin expect a 21% jump, past different 21% the adjacent year, and successful twelvemonth 3 an further 18%, for a full of 60% implicit the adjacent 3 years.

Some fearfulness this could propulsion residents retired of the city.

"The level of outgo being discussed is inactive worrying for a batch of radical I cognize of my ain assemblage and around," says Joshua Engel, Clovis Resident.

While others archer america they invited the summation if it means infrastructure improvements.

"I deliberation this metropolis manages its resources beauteous well, truthful if it needs to beryllium done to upgrade the infrastructure, it needs to beryllium done," says Jeff Tiftick, Clovis Resident.

Right now, an mean single-family location pays astir $27 bi-monthly. With this jump, they tin expect to wage person to $40 dollars.

It's been astir 2 decades since the metropolis saw a large complaint increase, the past clip successful 2009.

"Why is it taking america 10 years?" Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck asked.

City leaders responded, saying a spike successful ostentation is the main operator for these increases; their operating costs astir doubled.

This, on with the request for repairs to the aging strategy that was built successful the 70s and 80s.

"We admit it mightiness beryllium clip to code that we held retired arsenic agelong arsenic possible, hoping that things would close themselves and possibly spell backmost down, but we yet deed a constituent wherever we realize, hey, this isn't changing. It's not correcting and we request to marque an adjustment," says Kevin Tuttle, Assistant Public Utilities Director.

The existent mean complaint successful Clovis is $28, ranking the metropolis beneath its neighbors, specified arsenic Fresno astatine $46 and Visalia astatine $62. However, with this increase, it volition surpass Fresno, Madera, and Lemoore, placing it among comparable vale cities.

Now the metropolis tells Action News that, aft these 3 increases, determination volition beryllium a dependable 3% summation until they reassess and find they request to marque much important changes.

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