OSWEGO – The City of Fulton is facing a critical decision as it considers increasing rates for its water, sewer, and garbage services in response to rising costs. According to Public Works Commissioner C. J. Smith, the escalating expenses have left the city with no choice but to raise prices to continue delivering these essential services to residents.
In a candid statement, Commissioner Smith acknowledged that nobody on the council wants to impose these increases, but noted that they are a necessary reality due to national, regional, and global economic pressures. The proposed rate hikes are designed to cover rising costs and ensure the continued delivery of reliable water, sewer, and garbage services to Fulton residents.
For the first time in seven years, water rates will rise by $0.59 per 1,000 gallons, increasing from $2.35 to $2.94. This change reflects a significant shift in the cost of delivering clean water to our community. Sewer usage rates will also increase, rising from $4.94 to $5.73 per 1,000 gallons, as the city invests in upgrading and maintaining its sewer infrastructure.
Meanwhile, garbage rates are set to rise by $4 per month, from $21 to $25, as the city works to keep our community clean and healthy. It’s essential for Fulton residents to review their current rates and plan for these upcoming increases.
It’s worth noting that revenue generated by each utility account is used solely to fund that particular account. This means that any increased revenues will be directed towards maintaining and improving the city’s water, sewer, and garbage infrastructure. Commissioner Smith emphasized that this approach ensures accountability and transparency in how our tax dollars are spent.
Fulton residents are advised to review their current rates and plan for these upcoming increases. While no one likes paying higher bills, Commissioner Smith emphasized that these changes are necessary to ensure the continued delivery of essential services to our community.
The Public Hearing period is still open until August 20th.
Go figure increase with no accountability for services that you have no control over as a homeowner and taxpayers. Meantime you see a lot of new residents coming from different counties and they get free food, housing, and medical that we the taxpayers are burdened with.Keep it up and you will see a mass exit from the working people. Then what who’s going to pay then.
Doesn’t the CITY EVER GIVE UP, extra this, extra that. Keep going and we’ll all sign up for going bankrupt. OH, don’t forget our TAXES.
Wait till next year and the amount of money you pay in tax money goes up for most of us, our equalization rate is 84% and the city will say they have to go to 100%…bend over..
this is unlike you not to report all the discussions, I’m assuming you will do that after the closing of the hearing next meeting.
It use to be affordable living in Upstate NY, now between rents being extremely high, as if we are from NYC, now the cost to remove trash, sewage and water rates as just as bad. To add insult to injury, the services provided has gotten less, can’t put out a lot of items without the City charging us extra. I would love to relocate out of the State of NY.
While I can afford the increase, it’s not fair to those that cannot. Raising taxes and service rates all in the same year isn’t a good way to make people thrilled with your ideas.
Maybe should have held off until the next year?
Correct.
Getting tired of increases in school taxes and now these without how the money is being applied. For example for trash is a dollar for labor, two for equipment, 1 for delivery. All of these rate increases are generalized. Budgets need to show exactly where the dollars are applied to better understand the need.
Raising the garbage which includes yard waste???? That’s ridiculous since yard waste on my street has been sitting on the curb since the first storm we had in June. I’ve made my share of trips to Edgarton Dr. and refuse to make anymore. And, by the way, the paper bags you want us to put our yard waste in is useless, especially when the yard waste isn’t picked up regularly. Some of us are trying to clean up our properties through Block Builders. Yard waste in the front yard does not help.
I went to a Common Council meeting last week, and a Bible Study class brook out, Pray for Fulton for the month of Sept. was a Mayoral Proclamation I think, I pray for the World, the Country, the County and the City every day, Praying that our elected officials will have some good common sense and do the right thing, so far it hasn’t worked but I will continue to Pray, I don’t think we need a Bible Study class at the Common Council meetings, nobody should be quoting scripture, vers, or proverbs at a gov. meeting there is a time and a place for that.
Is our service going to get any better? Is our infostructure going to get any better???? Give us something for our money! Would be way cheaper to hire an outside company to collect our garbage. Would save the dumping fees right off the bat!
I’m originally from Fulton but have been living in Virginia Beach for the past 30 plus years. We have the same issues down here with lack of accountability and Rising costs courtesy of our city council. Our trash services used to be what was considered a core service, which came from your annual property taxes. Then about 10 years ago they said they could no longer provide it as a core service and started charging us $16 right off the bat. Meanwhile Virginia Beach and a number of other nearby cities have a contract with locked tipping fees. So if the Tipping fees are locked for the duration of the contract, which typically is 5 years, why does the cost go up annually for residents? They gave us some BS story of rising labor costs, replacing equipment, etc. Now my monthly trash fee is $42. In less than 10 years it went from zero to $42 with literally no change in service. I still have my original issued big black trash can which is 25 years old. I’ve had to replace the wheels on it several times but I refuse to pay the city $100 for a new can. And don’t even get me started on sewer, wastewater, and water. Same shenanigans.