Change Middle’s Sewer Billing?

COURT HOUSE – Sewer rates in Middle Township need to change to cover a significant increase in the municipality’s share of the county Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) expenses. At Middle Township Committee’s Feb. 5 work session, Committee member Timothy Donohue explained that decreases in population in other municipalities and growth in Middle left it with a “larger slice of the pie.” He referred to the total costs at the MUA which must be covered by the municipalities in the county system. 
Administrator Elizabeth Terenik said a new fee structure was needed to encourage conservation. She did not outline what the changes would be but said that a proposal would be coming soon in order to allow the changes to be incorporated into the 2018 budget.
At present, the township has two billing rates. Commercial customers are metered and pay a rate based on actual usage. The term used is the “flow” from the township sewer system to the MUA. Residential customers pay a flat rate with no meters to measure use.
With township salaries, wages and other expenses totaling about $400,000, Donohue said the municipality had done what it can to control its costs. The largest parts of the $4.4-million budget for the utility are made up of debt service and an over $2 million 2017 budgeted payment for the MUA, which fell short of this year’s MUA charges.
Terenik said the township might have to move to metered use for residential customers in the long-term. For now, a rate hike is in the works for 2018.