OXNARD : 10% Utility Rate Increase Considered

The Oxnard City Council will consider today a recommendation to raise residential water, sewage and trash collection rates by an average of 10%.

If the council adopts the proposed increases, the new rates could take effect as early as July, city officials said.

Under the recommendations, the average household would pay a total of $44.39 a month for utilities, a $4.18 increase, according to the report.

The proposed increases are designed to pay for several utility improvement projects and to cover increased landfill fees and higher water costs, among other things, the report said.

Under the proposal, monthly water rates for residents would increase by 60 cents, to $15.51, an increase of about 4%, the report said. Commercial rates would also increase by 4%.

Sewage rates would increase by 97 cents a month to $15, an increase of about 7%, according to the report. Commercial rates would increase between 7.4% and 9.2%, while industrial rates would increase between 5% and 8%, depending on the type of industry.

Monthly residential rates for trash collection would increase by $2.56, to $13.88, almost a 23% increase. Commercial rates would increase by $3.27 a month, while industrial rates would increase by $3.58, the report said.

Even with the increases, rates for water and trash collection would be lower than or comparable to monthly rates charged in other cities in the county, according to the report. For example, the average monthly water rate in seven other cities, including Ventura, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo, is $16.43, the report said. The average monthly trash collection fee is $13.90 in the other cities.

Oxnard’s average $15 sewer charge, however, would be considerably higher than the $10.61 average in other cities.