The City of Republic is putting a pause on water rate increases approved in 2024.
Republic has been making an effort to fund improvements to water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, that they say is decades overdue. The city is out of compliance with Missouri regulations. Since at least 2011 it's been working with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to get back into compliance. That requires infrastructure.
As a part of funding that infrastructure, Republic’s City Council passed water rate increases in 2024.
Now, Republic City Manager Bob Ford says as they’ve assessed the impact of those increases, they’re looking to slow things down for their consumers. Ford introduced the resolution at the City’s March 3rd meeting.
“You can see in 2025,” Ford explained illustrating the steep rise rate payers have seen, “the total bill for somebody using 10,000 gallons a month, would be $268 and change a month, as opposed to in the prior year it was just slightly over $200.”
If increases were left unchecked, the cost for that same amount of water use would increase to over $370 dollars this year. An increase in over $150 since 2024
At their meeting March 17, Republic’s City Council approved pausing water increases for 2026. Residents will still see increases to wastewater fees. Ford says as the city prepares its next budget, it will consider how much to raise fees in 2027 and beyond, but he said he hoped for steady sustainable increases.
Ford explained this pause does leave a funding gap in the city’s plans for water infrastructure. The city approved a stop-gap line of credit for $2 million Tuesday and plans to pursue bonds to help make up future costs.