EVERETT — The Edmonds City Council advanced a proposal to increase the city’s utility rates for the next six years at a council meeting Monday.
The council unanimously voted to place the rate increase on the consent agenda for the next meeting Tuesday. City staff say the increase will help cover increasing maintenance costs, upcoming capital projects and a significant wholesale water rate increase from the city of Everett.
If the council approves the proposal next week, residents would see a 9.75% increase in water rates each year from 2027 to 2032. For sewer, there would be a 7.5% increase in 2027 followed by a 7% increase each year until 2032. For stormwater, residents would see a 6.5% increase in 2027 and 2028, a 5% increase in 2029 and 2030 and a 4% increase in 2031 and 2032.
For the typical household, this would result in a bimonthly utility bill increase of anywhere between $33 and $43 depending on the year, according to the staff presentation.
In 2029, residents would see a slight decrease in their bimonthly bill as the city’s 20% utility tax is scheduled to expire at the end of 2028. After that, the utility tax would go back down to 10%.
Council President Pro Tem Jenna Nand raised concerns that with the rate increase, Edmonds would have one of the most expensive utility bills in the area, according to city staff. She suggested the council look at lowering the utility tax to 18% or 19%.
“I just think 20% is incredible sticker shock when we’re looking at combining that with this utility rate raise,” she said.
The city has a number of large capital projects in the works in the coming years, including water main replacements, sewer main replacements and upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant, as well as Lynnwood’s wastewater plant upgrades. About 12% of sewage treated by the Lynnwood plant comes from Edmonds.
“The more we defer this, as with any sort of upgrade or infrastructure repair, we know that costs will go up while we hold off, but I don’t want to minimize the pain that the community is already feeling from the temporary utility tax increase,” council member Chris Eck said. “And so I would love to see us make sure that we are not rushing this and taking our time to fully understand the ramifications on all sides of this.”
In 2025, Everett proposed a 125% rate increase to its wholesale water customers, including the Alderwood Water and Wastewater District, which supplies water to Edmonds. Although Alderwood and Everett are currently in dispute over the increase, Public Works Director Andy Rheaume said the increase could likely take effect in 2027. As a result, the city is deferring water main replacements in 2027, he said.
The increase keeps the city from dipping into its reserves, which could lower its bond rating, Rheaume said.
The rate increases are included in the mayor’s proposed 2027-28 budget, which the council is scheduled to vote on Nov. 24.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
