JAY — Select Board members voted May 11 to keep sewer rates unchanged for the 2026-27 fiscal year after reviewing five possible rate structures and discussing concerns about affordability for residents and families.

The board approved what was described during the hearing as “option one,” keeping the current minimum usage fee at $320 for up to 3,200 cubic feet and maintaining the charge of 13.5 cents per cubic foot above that amount. The motion passed unanimously.

Sewer Superintendent Mark Holt explained that the town annually reviews several approaches for setting sewer rates and determining how much of the operating budget should be covered through user fees.

“That is what option one is, to keep the rates the same and use those same numbers going forward,” Holt said during the hearing.

Holt said option two would have fully covered the gross operating budget through sewer revenue. Under that proposal, the per-cubic-foot charge would have increased from 13.5 cents to 17.5 cents while the $320 minimum fee remained unchanged.

Option three would have increased the usage charge by about 2.5 cents per cubic foot as a middle-ground approach between covering the net and gross budgets, Holt said.

Under option four, the town would have kept the $320 minimum fee but increased the usage rate to 14.5 cents per cubic foot.

Option five would have increased the minimum usage fee from $320 to $350 while keeping the current 13.5-cent-per-cubic-foot usage rate.

“Every year, I use the same idea,” Holt said. “Try and give you five different options to consider.”

Board members also discussed how different rate structures could affect larger households and families with higher water usage.

One board member questioned whether increasing usage-based fees would place a greater burden on families already struggling with rising costs.

“Those are the people that are struggling the hardest to make it,” the board member said. “I would much rather hold everything the way it is.”

Holt also explained how winter quarter water readings are used in some situations to estimate sewer usage because outdoor watering typically drops during colder months.

“There are some instances where people are gone for the winter time, and they have zero usage,” Holt said. “We’re trying to be as fair with everybody as possible.”

Supporting Sponsor for Franklin Journal, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Rangeley Highlander and Rumford Falls Times.
Keeping communities informed by supporting local news. franklinsavings.bank