Toccoa City Commission to discuss water rates at called work session

Correction: City water rates are differentiated between customers who live within the city limits of Toccoa, and those who lived outside the city limits of Toccoa, not between those who live within Stephens County and those who live outside the county.

 

The Toccoa City Commission will meet twice today, Dec. 11. 

At 4 p.m., the Commission will meet for a called work session in the Commission meeting room at City Hall, 92 North Alexander Street. There are two items of discussion on the agenda. First up is a discussion of water rates. 

Currently, City of Toccoa water rates for the first 2,000 gallons of water is $15.75 per month for residential and commercial customers inside the city limits and $19.69 per month for residential and commercial customers outside city limits. Industrial accounts inside city limits pay $3.85 per thousand gallons, while industrial customers outside the city limits pay $4.81 per gallon.

Included in the agenda packet is a schematic comparing the revenue impact of increasing rates by $1, $1.25, $1.50, $1.75 and $2. 

As reported earlier by WNEG News, Georgia Power recently instituted a significant increase in the amount charged for Toccoa’s permit to withdraw water from Lake Yonah. According to acting City Manager Freda Wheeler, the annual bill for the permit is typically between $6,000 and $7,000 per year, but was increased to $167,000. Georgia Power has not been willing to negotiate the price increase, Wheeler said. In addition, upgrades to water transmission lines and the water treatment plant will be necessary to handle any increased demand on water from the city, including any additional water sales to other counties such as the recent inquiry from Banks County about a significant increase in the amount of water they purchase from Toccoa. 

According to the agenda packet data, an across-the-board rate increase of $1 would increase annual revenue by $46,000 from in-city residential customers, $79,000 from residential customers outside the city limits, $7,0000 from in-cit commercial customers, and $4,000 from commercial customers outside the city limits.

The second item on the work session agenda is a continuation of the discussion about a potential donation of property by a citizen to the city. The property is located along West Doyle Street. 

The second meeting of the day is scheduled for 5 p.m., also at City Hall, where newly-elected or re-elected commissioners Gail Fry, Terry Carter and Ron Matheson will be sworn in to office by Judge Glenda Ernest for terms to begin Jan. 1, 2024.Also on the agenda is the selection of Mayor and Vice Mayor for 2024, and the appointment of City Manager and City Clerk.

The next scheduled meeting of the Toccoa City Commission is January 8.