WILLOWICK, Ohio — Residents are fed up after watching their water and sewage bills consistently increase over the last nine months.
Boris Marjanovic told News 5 that his bill in March was $145.67. Then, his bill cost $187.09. Most recently, Marjanovic’s bill, which is due in mid-October, is $218.06.
“It's a little bit concerning. A lot of people are concerned about constant hikes and we're wondering if it's possible to not have these hikes every three months. If it's possible to have maybe five or 10% [hikes] for one year instead of every three months,” Marjanovic stated.
Additionally, two new fees have popped up on his bill. One is listed as “meter fee,” and another is listed as “service charge.”
News 5 looked over Marjanovic’s bill and saw the “meter fee” was added in June and the “service charge” listed on a separate line in September.
Willowick City Council President Monica Koudela said the billing system was recently changed, so bills will look different.
“There is a listed service charge which is a flat rate charged by the city. I believe it should be $23.50 per household. It has been charged since 2012, but I believe it is being listed differently on these new bills versus the old style. I’m not familiar with a meter fee,” she said.
He added the sudden rate hikes are unfair and slowly creeping to the point of not being affordable.
Mary Betsa is rowing in the same boat.
Betsa said her latest bill is $600. She said she lives in a small home with her husband.
“I opened it up on Sunday, right before mass. I opened it up and I went, ‘Oh my goodness. Did I forget to pay the bill?’ And I looked at it again and I went, ‘No, I didn't.’ It doubled. It tripled and, and I thought, what are we going to do?,” Betsa explained. “I spoke with my daughter, and she told me go on the Willowick community page. ‘You're not the only one.’ I started scrolling through and I started crying. Families with bills of $1,300. They can't make ends meet as it is. There's got to be something that the council can do for us.”
Since getting her bill, Betsa said her family has had to budget harder and even consider moving elsewhere.
“Unfortunately, you'll see a for sale sign in front of our house that we thought was going to be our retirement home,” Betsa stated.
Marjanovic said while his rate hikes have been affordable, he’s worried about what the future will hold when it comes to figuring out his finances.
“The sewer rates have been a continuous discussion among all of city council. There have been significant increases each year since 2020. Prior to 2020, there had not been any significant increase; there was about a 10-year period that the rate to Willowick residents did not increase but the rate charged by Euclid did.”
The City of Euclid has been federally required to make updates to the sewer treatment plant. Additionally, supplies, treatment chemicals, and wages have gone up.
Willowick’s Sewer Revenue Fund was used to keep up with the costs, but then it started to dry up.
“The Sewer Revenue Fund pays not only the fees charged for treatment by the City of Euclid but it also pays wages for our Sewer Department employees, equipment for the department, and repairs to our sewer system throughout the city,” Koudela said. “Since at least 2016, the Sewer Revenue Fund expenses have exceeded revenue. Those expenses have been covered by the remaining fund balance, but in 2022 and 2023, the balance was not enough, and funds were advanced from the General Fund.”
More than $300,000 was loaned from the General Fund to the Sewer Revenue Fund to cover the expenses and keep the account balance positive.
That advance is typically returned to the original account within a year, but it hasn’t been, according to Koudela.
“These are tough conversations and tough decisions. This is devastating. We are all fighting the same battle,” she added.
News 5 reached out to City of Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer-Gail Tuesday afternoon. She explained that Willowick is a “master meter” community, which means they do not pay based on water consumption but on actual wastewater flow into the City of Euclid through a point-of-entry meter.
The City of Willowick City Council held a meeting Tuesday night. The water and sewer fee increases were not on the agenda, but a handful of residents voiced their concerns, including Betsa.
“There's got to be some type of regulation. There has to be,” Betsa said. “[City Council] was talking about if they had to take from the general fund that the safety forces would lose out. I was sitting there, and I was thinking I would rather pay for the safety forces. I really would. It's a worthwhile thing, but then again, you're still hitting families that can't even afford to feed their children.”
“What’s your takeaway from tonight’s meeting?” I asked.
“I'm not happy. I'm not happy. I'm advocating for the other residents as well,” Betsa responded. “Please do something.”
Members of Willowick’s City Council did attend a Euclid Service Committee meeting where they expressed their concerns with the rate hikes and said they will continue to explore other options.
The City of Willowick could build its own sewage plant, but it estimates the cost will be $100 million, and that doesn't include treatment or staffing.
“We heard the concerns raised at the Service Committee meeting and are hoping to make some adjustments as requested, but an increase in the rates is necessary. The City of Euclid Sewer rates remain lower than NEORSD and other area sewer plants and we continue to seek grants and efficiency improvements to combat higher costs,” Holzheimer-Gail said.
The next Euclid City Council meeting will be on Monday, Oct. 7. Willowick residents like Betsa plan to make their voices heard.
