East New Mexico News

After reconsideration by the mayor, mayor pro tem, and city manager of the new City of Roswell water-rate system, Mayor Tim Jennings plans to place an item on the Sept. 12 City Council agenda to repeal and replace the recently adopted ordinance.

The action expected to be considered by city councilors at the upcoming regular council meeting will include repealing the tier-structure rate system recently enacted and replacing it with a substitute ordinance that will include more familiar flat rates. After hearing from citizens and discussing the matter further, city officials have decided the tier-structure system (with differing rate tiers based on customers’ water usage) was overly aggressive. The substitute rate measure is being designed to return to flat rates (which include various rates as a customer’s water use increases in a given month but does not feature tiers creating differing rates for different customers). The return to flat rates is aimed at lowering and simplifying the rate structure while still producing enough increase in revenue to maintain the integrity of the city’s water system.

The proposed new ordinance regarding water rates will be available on the city’s website when the City Council agenda and associated materials are posted to the site by Monday, Sept. 9.

As this process takes place, the city encourages citizens to pay their existing water bills. Payment plans can be set up at the water billing office.