Evansville, Wyo. – The Evansville Town Council set its budget for the coming fiscal year, set to begin July 1, and approved a series of utility rate increases at its Monday meeting.
Budget and Utility Rates
The town authorized $5,231,699 in general fund expenditures for fiscal year 2027. Public safety remains a primary focus of municipal spending, with the Evansville Police Department receiving $1,906,246 and $1,802,509 allocated for the Fire Department.
The town expects to generate more than $5.4 million in general fund revenue, with tax collections accounting for approximately $3.36 million of that total.
The council also approved a capital improvement plan that includes $4,442,000 in total appropriations. Major projects for the upcoming year include the $4 million Mesa Natural Gas Solutions project and $290,000 for a Lathrop Pathway project.
Residents will see an immediate impact on their monthly utility bills due to 5% rate hikes for water, sewer and sanitation services after Monday’s meeting. The new rates will go into effect July 1, and each rate increase also includes a second 5% increase scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.
For water services, in-town residential customers will now pay a monthly service fee of $7.55 plus $3.58 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed. Residential customers living outside the town limits will see a monthly service fee of $11.34 and a usage charge of $5.37 per 1,000 gallons.
Commercial rates within town limits are set at a $29.06 monthly fee and $3.78 per 1,000 gallons.
Sewer rates have also been adjusted, with in-town residential units charged $13.47 per month for the first 4,000 gallons of water used and $1.98 for each additional 1,000 gallons. Out-of-town residential users will pay $20.17 for the first 4,000 gallons and $2.92 for every 1,000 gallons thereafter. Non-residential units within the town will pay a monthly base rate of $25.61.
And sanitation service charges for a standard 90-gallon residential receptacle are now $23.55 per month for in-town residents and $29.55 for those outside town limits. Commercial sanitation rates for 1.5-yard bins are set at $49.53, while 3-yard bins will cost $98.08 per month.
During public comment at the council meeting, community member and former Councilman Phil Gierke asked that the council leave water rates unchanged, but the council members pushed back. Councilman Chad Edwards responded that Evansville’s rates remain lower than nearby cities’ even with the raise, and added that not raising them could create long-term problems for the town.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
