The Cuba Village Council is scheduled to vote at the end of September on a proposed 16.7% increase in water and sewer rates for both residential and commercial users.
According to Cuba Mayor Denny Herrera, the increase aims to stabilize the village water department’s finances and allocate funds for essential infrastructure improvements.
The proposed rate increase will raise residential and commercial water bills by an estimated $4 to $6 and sewer bills by $8 to $12 per month. If approved, the rate increase will take effect on the October bill.
“Since ‘21 to ‘23, we’ve had 28% inflation and we haven’t increased our rates. It’s been probably five or six years [since the last increase],” Herrera said.
The increase follows a financial audit conducted with assistance from the Rural Community Assistance Corporation.
According to Herrera, the audit revealed that the village has spent about $800,000 over the past five to six years due to repairs on its aging water system. The village aims to demonstrate financial stability to qualify for grants and federal funding. To tackle major issues, including the need for a complete system replacement, they must prove their ability to manage additional debt and improve their financial standing.
For most of the summer, Cuba has been under an emergency/disaster declaration to address low water pressure issues in the Highway 126, Nacimiento Road and Southern All Around Road area of the village.