It’s been a long time since the City of Garnett raised its electrical rate. Sixteen years to be exact, in 2006; but, years of tapping the City’s Utility Revenue Surpluses to subsidize other line items in the City Budget, have led to City Commissioners to increase that rate possibly later in the Spring. There have been warnings. According to the Anderson County Review, the two previous Managers, Joyce Martin and Chris Weiner, have said that using utility surpluses to stop mill levy increases in local property tax wasn’t a strategy that could go on forever.
Current City Manager, Travis Wilson, says the problem is that the cost of everything continues to go up and the City can’t keep eating the price increases and running on the same revenue from 16 years ago. Wilson says he doesn’t have specifics yet. He’s hoping to have a resolution to Commissioners in April, with the increase possibly in May.
A report to the Kansas Senate Utilities Committee last year, said the average residential electricity rates across Kansas declined by 4.79%; however, Ottawa has seen an increase of 20% over the past two years.
