At its monthly meeting on Monday, the Waynesburg Borough Council took the first step toward financing a major sewer system upgrade. Council members approved the preparation and advertising of an ordinance that would raise monthly sewage fees by an average of $5 per unit beginning in 2027.
Funding the Upgrade
Project engineer Bob Dengler of Gannett Fleming explained that the fee increase is the initial phase of a three‑year plan that will ultimately lift household sewage charges by $15 per month by 2029. The increase is needed to service a Rural Utilities Service (RUS) loan of $11 million that will fund the sewer improvements.
Dengler estimated the borough will owe roughly $500,000 in debt service each year on the loan. When the numbers were first crunched a year ago, adding that amount to the sewer budget would have created a deficit of about $244,000, prompting the council to spread the cost over several budget cycles.
Construction Timeline
Construction on the upgraded system is slated to begin in mid‑2027 and run through mid‑2028. “At the end of construction, that’s when RUS will close on the loan, and then the borough will have to pay it back,” Dengler said.
Council Deliberations
Council members debated whether to impose the full fee increase immediately or to phase it in. The final decision was to adopt the incremental approach, balancing fiscal responsibility with the need to keep the project on schedule.
Councilwoman Lynne Snyder voiced a common concern, saying, “Myself, I would rather just rip the Band‑Aid off, and we’ll see what it is. But a lot of people can’t do that.” Her comment underscored the council’s awareness of the impact on residents.
Budget Context
Borough Manager Athena Bowman clarified that the sewage fee increase does not equate to a tax hike. The balanced general‑fund budget for 2026 totals $1,699,530, reflecting a 2.6 % increase over the prior year. The budget does not yet include projected revenues from Act 13 impact fees generated by local gas wells, which contributed $260,967 for 2026.
“These numbers are educated guesses, and we don’t have some of the items,” Bowman said, noting that certain costs—such as health‑insurance and workers’‑compensation expenses—remain uncertain.
Public Review
The council voted to advertise the proposed budget for public review, allowing residents to submit comments or suggestions. The review period will remain open until February 15.
Waynesburg’s proactive approach to funding essential infrastructure demonstrates a commitment to maintaining reliable public utilities while managing fiscal prudence for its residents.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
