Buffalo Council Passes Water Rate Ordinance on Third Reading

Buffalo’s City Council has approved their Ordinance to change the city water rate scale based on usage, but only after residents voiced concerns with the rate change.

Lynn Miller asked for them to table passing the third reading to allow residents to find the exact dollar amount the changes would make to their monthly bill.

The council and City Clerk Julie Silbernagel explained that the base rate will stay the same, with the allotted gallons used coming down from 10,000 to 5,000.

The remainder of the rates would be a scale so that those that use more water would pay a higher amount per month, while those using less would pay the same, or even see their rates go down.

Silbernagel offered to discuss Miller’s specific bill, based on usage, to find her estimated costs with the new rate scale.

Kerry Aggen also spoke, telling the council they had not followed proper procedure in adopting the Ordinance, asking them to not pass the third reading and start the process over again.

The council voted to pass the Ordinance on third and final reading.