Cape Coral City Council to discuss water and sewer bill options

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — Cape Coral's city council will review a proposal Wednesday to continue increasing water and sewer bills.

Documents the city council will consider show the plan could raise water and sewer rates by $100 during the next decade. Some residents say that with everything else rising, now is not the time.

The city of Cape Coral says the council could choose to increase water and sewer bills by 5% year after year, with a 10% increase in 2033, starting in 2028. Right now, citizens are seeing an 11% increase each year for their water and sewer bills through 2027.

The documents show that right now, the average household is paying about $131 for water.

Going through with the 5% plan and 10% in 2033, citizens could see a $100 increase by 2036. Homeowner Rick Ziemba said he thinks the increases are unfair.

"I think it's being put way too much on the backs of each individual citizen," Ziemba said. "Recrunch all your numbers and come up with a better idea of how to handle all this, rather than just on the backs of the citizens.”

Homeowner Patrick Dietzol questioned where the increases would end.

"We already pay so much property tax, and the water bill is right now, but where, when they started right now? Where do they stop?" Dietzol said.

One neighbor WINK News spoke with says they understand why the increase could happen. Homeowner Jeff Keim said he expected the rise.

"Everything's going up insurance and auto and health and everything else, so I would expect it," Keim said. “Quality is good. Nobody complains with that."

The city says this is only a planning scenario to show different financing methods.

At Wednesday's meeting, the council will only discuss this option; it is not a voting meeting.