City to study ways to offset rate increases

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This article was published 21/12/2023 (742 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A member of Brandon City Council followed through on a promise he made last month, getting a motion passed calling for the creation of a program to help those being hit hardest by recently approved increases to municipal water and wastewater utility fees.

Manitoba’s Public Utilities Board approved rate increases that will see rates almost double between this year and 2026 in a decision issued in late October. That decision criticized the length of time between the city’s rate applications and suggested that Brandon introduce “targeted programs to alleviate the financial hardship faced by the utility’s customers.”

Coun. Bruce Luebke (Ward 6) pledged at council’s first November meeting to bring forward the motion, telling the Sun at the time that Brandon needed “to be cognizant there are going to be some people that are going to struggle with the increased water rates.”

The motion as passed cites the decision and calls for Brandon to investigate measures including, but not limited to, an affordability program for people with low incomes, a rebate program, a water audit program, a retrofitting program for high-efficiency appliances, and a business program.

For the low-income program, Luebke’s motion suggests that eligibility be limited to households with total income equal to or less than Statistics Canada’s before-tax, low-income cut-off threshold as well as for seniors and people with disabilities.

A water rebate program could see residents get a partial refund on their water bills if their annual water usage is less than a certain threshold.

The audit program would help households pay for the cost of having a contractor examine their water efficiency and make suggestions on how they could improve it.

A retrofitting program would help residents pay for installing high-efficiency fixtures like toilets, shower heads, sinks and faucets, and faucet aerators.

Finally, the business program would allow businesses the chance for a one-time water efficiency audit and a one-time cash rebate rewarding organization that reduce their overall water usage.

City administration is ordered in the motion to return to city council with recommendations by June 1, 2024 and for any programs to go into effect by Jan. 1, 2025.

While addressing his colleagues, Luebke said his suggestions are based on programs instituted by other municipalities.

“I feel like it’s worth our time and effort to see what program could be implemented in Brandon to help alleviate some of those concerns,” Luebke said.

“I’m particularly interested in the opportunities we can provide to residents to help them conserve water.”

The only councillor present at Monday’s meeting who voted against the motion was Coun. Greg Hildebrand (Ward 5).

“I had received communication from a couple of residents in my ward who are quite concerned about something like this because the increase in rates is affecting us all and if we’re considering any type of rebate for lower-income folks, that’s affecting us even more,” he said.

“Our rates are going up and then they’d be going up again if we try to subsidize those, so where does it end with the beginning of tax increases as well that we’re looking at?”

Coun. Heather Karrouze (Ward 1) was present during the early part of the meeting but had left by the time council held a vote on Luebke’s motion.

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