The application period for Citizien’s Advisory Committee (CAC) applications is closed. The City Commission is pleased to announce that 66 residents applied to serve on the CAC. The applicants are a well-qualfied group that represented a broad cross-section of the community.
The City Commission is in the process of reviewing the applications and will make their selections of members to serve on the CAC at the January 11 City Commission meeting.
As background, Pleasant Ridge voters approved a 3.5 mill property tax millage at the November 2021 election. The millage can be used to fund water system improvements, including replacing water mains and lead service lines. In determining the next fiscal year budget beginning July 1, 2022 the City Commission may choose to levy all, some, or none of the 3.5 mills to fund the water infrastructure project.
The City uses ready-to-serve charges as part of the water utility rate structure to fund water and sewer infrastructure as part of the City’s water rate structure. If the entire 3.5 mills are levied, millage funding will provide about 75% of the total revenue needed to complete the water infrastructure project with the other 25% coming from water usage rates or ready-to-serve charges. If a lower millage amount is levied, water rates or charges will provide a higher percentage of the revenue needed to complete the project. Other funding sources being pursued by the City such as federal or state grants may also fund this project if we are successful in obtaining such funding.
The City Commission established the CAC to study the avilable funding alternatives and make a recommendation on how to fund the water infrastructure project. This recommendation will help the City Commission determine how much of the water infrastructure millage to levy, and how to structure water rates and charges.
