The Metro Council will meet in a special session before Tuesday’s meeting to pass Mayor Karl Dean’s water rate hike in a second of three required votes.
The expedited process allows the bill to be on public hearing later that night and up for a final vote later in March.
Dean’s spokeswoman Janel Lacy says the mayor wants to pass his water reform bill as quickly as possible so Metro Water can plan for the extra revenue. She says families also need to prepare their own budgets for when the rate change takes effect this summer.
The plan ups water rates by 7 percent each of the next three years. It also adds a new fee to pay for storm water projects. The fee would be three dollars for the average residential customers. It’s based on impervious surface area, so businesses with large parking lots could pay a maximum of $400 a month.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM