BURBANK : Council Scales Back Utility-Rate Increases

Burbank residents stand to save an average of $1.25 a month after the City Council scaled back scheduled rate increases for power and water in its new $291-million budget.

“The council didn’t feel comfortable passing on to the community costs that were not there,” Mayor George Battey Jr. said.

A freeze on city salaries as well as strict cost-cutting measures this year have created a budget only $3 million larger than the 1992-93 budget of $288 million, officials said.

The city is using leftover revenues from the 1992-93 budget year and other cash reserves to offset the rate increases, city officials said Thursday.

The council canceled a scheduled 3.5% rate increase for electricity and reduced a scheduled water rate increase from 12% to 4%.

Also canceled was a scheduled garbage collection rate increase of 2.8%.

Ronald V. Stassi, Burbank’s public service department general manager, said that the canceled rate increases would save 45 cents a month on an average residential electric bill of $38 a month. The typical water user, who pays an average of $22 a month, would save 80 cents, Stassi said.

The new budget may have to be adjusted later this year depending on changes in state revenues or if the city negotiates to give its employees pay raises this year.