Lisle board adopts phased 5-year water and sewer rate increase after debate over past fund transfers

Mayor Mary Jo Mullen and the Lisle Village Board voted May 4 to adopt an ordinance amending the village code to implement a phased increase in water and sewer rates over five years.

The ordinance sets sewer increases at 1.5% per year and phases water-rate hikes at 9% in each of the first two years and 7% in each of the last three years. Village Manager Cook said those changes would raise the bimonthly bill for an average 10,000-gallon usage from $88.72 to $96.08 in year one, and to $126.06 by 2031.

"Factors that contributed to the need for the increased rates included an ongoing need to renew or replace aging infrastructure, increased costs associated with changing regulation, general inflationary effects on operating and capital costs, and a decrease in consumption trends," Village Manager Cook said as he presented the ordinance and supporting financial information.

Why it mattered: Staff and trustees said the increases are intended to preserve the village's long-term policy of funding capital projects from cash rather than by issuing debt, which they said would be costlier for residents over time. Trustee Olson said indexing future adjustments to a water-and-sewer inflation index should help rein in unexpected spikes.

Resident concerns: During public comment, Karen Larson urged the board to hold off on approving what she called a "45% water rate increase over the next 5 years," saying FOIA responses and supporting reports were absent. Another resident pressed staff on why rates must rise if the water fund shows cash balances and questioned past transfers of a $7,100,000 loan taken in 2007.

Mayor Mullen responded directly to the accusations, saying the 2007 transactions and later repayment were recorded in the village audit and that the current board was not responsible for decisions made nearly two decades ago. "What happened in 2007 has nothing to do with what we're trying to do today," Mullen said, adding the water fund is an enterprise fund and "it will stay there."

The vote: Clerk Benton called the roll after discussion; the board recorded affirmative votes and the ordinance passed.

What happens next: The rate schedule takes effect consistent with the village's billing periods and includes an ongoing annual adjustment mechanism tied to a water-and-sewer inflation index to mitigate future rate volatility.