City approves utility rate increases for 2015-16

By Beverly Bryant/News Director

The Ponca City Board of Commissioners approved utility rate increases for the 2015-16 fiscal year at its meeting Monday night.

Two percent increases were approved for electric rates, solid waste and landfill, wastewater, the industrial pre-treatment annual permit fee, and water. The stormwater fee was increased 25 cents.

The increases go into effect July 1, which is the start of the 2015-16 fiscal year.

There were no increases in utility rates for the current fiscal year

City Manager Craig Stephenson said there are 29 funds including the General Fund, Ponca City Utility Authority and others with total proposed expenditures of $101,377,962. He said the budget represents an increase from the current year’s budget of 2.74 percent.

The General Fund budget is $23,098,127 which includes Public Safety, Public Works, General Government, Park and Recreation and Cultural Affairs. The largest portion of that budget is for Public Safety, which accounts for 56.7 percent of the budget, or $13,108,227.

Among the capital items budgeted for the coming year are four new police cars at a cost of $108,000; a fire brush truck, $120,000; an asphalt patch truck, $205,000; electric system maintenance, $1,300,000; a large bucket truck for electric, $350,000; three trucks for Solid Waste, $650,000.

Others are reconstruction of a stormwater channel, $350,000; waterproofing for the north terrace at the Marland Mansion, $110,000; Street Sales Tax capital, $1,622,000; and industrial park water tank rehabilitation, $370,000.