Medina will soon raise water, sewer rates

MEDINA – The village hasn’t increased its water and sewer rates in a decade. That will soon change.

The Village Board will meet 7 p.m. May 28 to schedule a public hearing for an increase. First, the board needs to determine how much the rates will go up for village users and out-of-village customers in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway.

“We have 10 years of increases to catch up on,” said Mayor Andrew Meier.

Medina has been working with a consultant, Paul Bringewatt of Canandaigua, to determine how much the rates should increase. The village also has been looking at how personnel and other budgeted expenses are credited to either the water or general fund.

Some of the village fund expenses, which are paid solely by the village-only property owners, may be shifted to the water budget, which includes both village and outside-village users. That would ease some pressure on the general fund, and village property owners.

Meier said the issues will be discussed May 28 and during the public hearing, which has yet to be set.

Medina buys its water from the Niagara County Water District. Village residents pay a retail rate to the village, while the towns receive a wholesale rate from Medina. The towns of Shelby and Ridgeway then sell then water to residents in their water districts.