Local residents should prepare for a notable increase in their monthly utility costs as Phenix City moves away from its long-standing reputation as a low-cost outlier in the region.
Following the adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-03, the City Council has set in motion a two-phase plan to overhaul water and sewer rates to address aging infrastructure, rising operational costs, and necessary system maintenance.
“We’re not arbitrarily picking something out of the air,” said Phenix City Mayor Eddie Lowe. “We had a study done, and we did a study a few years back. At that time … for every dollar’s expense, we were only netting seventy-one cents. You can’t continue to stay in business that way. Even though it’s challenging as it is with water and infrastructure, throughout the country everybody’s in the same situation.”…