Chestermere City council approved a 7.8 per cent increase in the Chestermere Utilities Inc. (CUI) rate for 2017 at the Dec. 19 council meeting.
This is reduced from the 15 pre cent that CUI had requested.
“To be able to find some breathing room for our residents, and we are all feeling the pinch…The lower we can put this rate the happier its going to be” said Chestermere Mayor Patricia Matthews.
The approved rate was one of three presented to council.
CUI had asked for a 15 per cent increase, while the consultant recommended 10 per cent.
City administration brought forward the 7.8 recommendation that was ultimately approved.
“I have to commend our staff for looking through all of this information and bringing this recommendation back to us,” said Matthews.
“15 per cent was a very difficult number to read right off the get go and one I would have had great difficulty supporting,” she said.
The council meeting started out with over 50 members of the public in attendance filling the gallery and spilling out into the lobby which was set up as the overflow area with a live feed of the council chamber.
The crowd slowly dwindled as the council meeting which started at 3 p.m. continued with the rate decision passed unanimously just before 7 p.m.
For more information on the CUI rate decision see the Dec. 29 edition of the Anchor.
