The Canton City Council approved raising the city's water and sewer rates by roughly 30 percent during its meeting on Thursday.
For the city's residential water customers, the minimum rate for uses up to 1,000 gallons rate will increase from $9.40 to $10.90.
Uses between 2,000 and 10,000 gallons will increase from $4.70 to $5.35, from $5.40 to $6.40 for 10,000 to 15,000 gallons and from $6.10 to $6.95 for uses over 15,000 gallons.
For irrigation customers, rate will increase from $10.80 to $14.10 for uses of up to 2,000 gallons, but the rate will decrease slightly from $5.40 to $5.35 for uses exceeding 2,000 gallons.
For commercial and industrial water users, the rate for uses up to 2,000 gallons will rise from $9.40 to 10.90 and anything exceeding 2,000 gallons will increase from $4.70 to $5.35.
Sewer customers will also see increases. For uses up to 2,000 gallons, the rate will jump from $11.50 to $16.35. Any uses totaling more than 2,000 gallons will rise from $5.57 to $8.05.
City Manager Scott Wood said the increases will bring in about $500,000 for the rest of the fiscal year to solve "immediate" needs, but the city will still be short about $1 million. He noted the city would have to find alternative funding to make up for the shortfall.
The council learned in March it needs to raise its water and sewer rates by at least 20 percent as soon as possible and by another 7 percent by October to reduce the city's planned reliance on $1.3 million from reserves to cover its operating costs.
Over the next four years, in order for the city to regain its financial ground, it would have to raise its rates by 65 percent over the next four years.
The recommended increases are based upon the city upgrading its sewer plant for $5 million and upgrading its water plant for $27 million.
Mayor Gene Hobgood noted it still "bothers" him that residents will be faced with the increases, adding "it would be really hard for me to support" another rate increase later in the year.
Councilman Bob Rush noted the sewer increases seem to be more as "that's part of where our dilemma is."
The council tabled until its June 2 work session reviewing a proposed resolution to call for voters to approve retail Sunday alcohol sales within the city limits.
Canton is the latest city to consider retail sales. Woodstock, Holly Springs and Ball Ground have all moved forward in letting their residents decide. Cherokee County has scheduled a public hearing during its June 21 meeting for residents to give feedback on a possible referendum.
Both Waleska and Nelson have no plans to bring up a possible resolution on Sunday sales.
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