Your utility rates are on their way up for 2014 - but at least 95 per cent of the increase is coming from Metro Vancouver and not the City of Richmond.
Based on average water and sewer consumption, a metered single-family home will pay an extra $42.68 next year (which includes drainage, diking, solid waste and recycling).
A metered townhouse owner will be asked to dig an extra $50 deeper for the same services. People living in a single-family home, which is on a flat rate, will pay an extra $43.71 extra on average, while an un-metered townhouse will have to pay an additional $54.33 in 2014 utilities.
The vast majority of the increases are forced upon the city by Metro Vancouver, according to the report presented Monday afternoon to city council - a fact Coun. Bill McNulty was keen that staff impress to the taxpaying public when the bills are sent out next year.
A total of $1.55 million is being taken from the city's rate stabilization accounts to combat the aforementioned regional cost pressures. Included in the increases for next year is a six-month pilot, weekly versus biweekly garbage collection project - the purpose of which is to determine which service produces better results for recycling performance and the environment.
The report also points out that the city's percentage increase for utilities is lower than that of Metro Vancouver's.
City council's general purposes committee unanimously approved the rate hikes, which will go before a full meeting of council before the end of the year for final approval.
