(The Center Square) – Spokane’s utility rates expire at the end of 2024, and with new fares coming in their place, the difference might cost residents another $180 annually by 2026.
Utility rates cover water service, the resulting consumption/usage, garbage, wastewater, stormwater and capital. Residents pay for the services under rates that could increase by more than 10% over two years if the city council approves those presented on Monday by Public Works Director Marlene Feist.
That proposal included a 4.88% overall increase in residential bills for 2025, about $7.14 more per month compared to 2024. Feist said those rates would increase by another 5.47% in 2026, tacking on an additional $8.40 monthly compared to 2025.
“About a week or two ago, Snoqualmie had to approve a 42% increase in their garbage rate,” Fiest said, “and their neighbor in North Bend approved a 101% increase, so I’m not suggesting that’s anywhere near reasonable for what we would expect for our citizens, but it’s the pressures that utilities are feeling.”