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It's the first water and sewer rate increase that St. Clair has approved in three years.
According to Arndt, most municipalities raise rates annually, but instead of instituting the 1.33 percent annual hike, St. Clair will see the 4 percent increase come in one larger jump.
"I hate to do this, but I know we have to because revenues are down," Alderwoman Connie Marrocco said. "It's something that we have to do in order to keep up."
"Fact of the matter is that there hasn't been an increase in three years," Mayor Ron Blum responded.
Arndt said St. Clair's rates are still much lower in comparison to some neighboring cities.
Showing an actual bill from another town that Arndt didn't name, the customer was paying about $69 for 4,100 gallons. That same amount of use would garner a $41.80 bill in St. Clair, a difference of about 41 percent.
The increase, which has already been written into the 2010 budget will raise about $40,000 next year that will go to keep up with higher maintenance and engineering costs, including capital improvements at the water treatment facility that have been ordered by the Department of Natural Resources.
In September of this year, aldermen approved an ordinance that increased the cost of new customer water deposits from $100 to $200.
At the time, Arndt cited a $157,836.54 deficit in the water and sewer fund largely in part due to customers not paying water bills.
City officials have said that the deficit has been caused by customers not paying their bills and skipping town, along with the higher upkeep costs.
