Increases for Toledo city residents and businesses on water / sanitary sewer service bills and for monthly landfill support fees are in the works. Mayor Brian Sokol advised council members during their meeting Tuesday night, the city needs to increase water rates annually to keep up with higher costs.

In 2014 the rates jumped up to 24% on certain level of usage after no hikes had bene taken to pay for a new $3 million sewer plant. Rates went up again in 2018 to pay for a new water treatment plant.

Proposed is a 3% hike. This is aimed at both keeping up with cost increases and to build a reserve fund to pay for maintenance and possible unexpected costs.

Higher charges are coming July 1 for the city’s payments in support of the Tama County Landfill, it was also announced Tuesday. Currently the city subsidizes the two dollar monthly fee added to water bills to make up an annual deficit totaling between $ 4,000- $5,000 in landfill cost. The landfill charge to the city for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is to go to about $54,000 from the current $37,900 according to City Clerk Kim McAdoo.

Council members decided to include an item on the June 8 agenda adding $2.40 monthly to all residential and commercial bills.

If passed, the new charges will be $4.40 monthly for residential and $7.90 monthly for commercial users.

Sokol said the raise would allow enough funding to restart the city’s spring clean up at curbside at no cost to residents. It was replaced last year with a charge for use of dumpsters for disposal located at the Reinig-Toledo Civic Center.