New Rate Hike Likely Won’t be the Last

The upcoming sewer rate hike for La Crosse won’t be the last. Nor the biggest.  The rate consultant hired by the city, John Mayer, says coming DNR regulations on phosphorous could require anywhere from 10 to 60 million dollars in improvements for the utility.  And that’s not coming out of cash reserves

 

 

 

(Click for Audio)

 

 

That borrowing, says Mayer, will raise rates just because of the interest that has to be paid to borrow.   Those phosphorous regulations, he says, could wind up costing sewer customers a nearly 90 percent increase in rates.