St. Petersburg residents could see monthly utility bills climb by almost 7% next year. Why? The city must keep services running and pay for mounting expenses. Officials presented the proposed rates to the City Council on Aug. 6.

A typical household using 3,500 gallons of water per month would pay 6.86% more. Those who get reclaimed water for lawn irrigation would face a 7.71% jump.

Drinking water rates would leap 7.5%. Wastewater climbs 6.5%. Garbage and recycling inches up 6%, while stormwater surges 8.5%. Reclaimed water sees the steepest spike at 9.75%.

Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley explained the proposal doesn’t add workers or new programs — the funds simply cover growing expenses while maintaining current operations and projects already slated for completion.

“So if we did a zero rate increase this year, we would have to look at how we would reduce those operation costs, and I don’t know how we would do that without having to cut staff, to be honest with you,” said Tankersley, according to the St. Pete Catalyst.

Council Member Richie Floyd questioned whether residents are now paying for infrastructure the city failed to build years ago. Examining rates one year at a time hides what residents have shouldered over ten years, he argued.

“We feel like we’re more than making up for maybe a lack of investment in the past,” Floyd said. “With the amount of increases we’ve had over the last decade, if we looked at that cumulatively, it does look like a really large burden being placed on one generation.”

The utility hike arrives as voters decide in November whether to let the city borrow up to $600 million for infrastructure projects — debt repaid through property taxes that would address flooding, water, and sewer systems.

Council Member Brandi Gabbard brought a resident’s question into the discussion about both proposals. “City Council is going to ask us in November to tax ourselves, but why would we want to do that whenever we’re already getting increases every single year?” Gabbard said.

Officials explained higher utility rates keep existing services operational and maintain projects already planned. The November proposal would fund additional infrastructure work.

The council didn’t vote on the rates yet. The proposal returns for a first reading on Thursday, then moves into the public hearing process.