Customer rate increases for solid waste and sewer bills are on the horizon for Des Moines residents.
The proposed rate increases for the city’s fiscal year 2026 were among the several topics the Des Moines City Council discussed in a budget session Wednesday. It comes on the heels of the city releasing its recommended operating budget of $839.3 million for the July 1 to June 30 fiscal year.
The council also discussed proposed cuts to address a $17 million budget shortfall, the result of a cap on property tax revenue growth the Iowa Legislature passed in 2023 as well as rising costs for services and materials.
The council will vote on the new budget in April.
More: Staff cuts, customer trash bill increases: highlights from Des Moines’ budget discussion
Here are some of the proposed rate increases that could show up on Des Moines residents’ bills.
How much is the proposed solid waste fee increase?
The city is proposing a $2.25 increase in solid waste collection bills across the board, except for customers who qualify for subsidized rates.
It would bring the monthly rate of the first 64 gallons of waste to $16.81 from $14.56 and the for the first 96 gallons to $17.91 from $15.66.
The city collects trash, yard waste and recyclables from about 66,000 homes.
Des Moines Finance Director Nick Schaul said the city hasn’t had a solid waste rate increase in about four years.
How much is the proposed rate increase for sanitary sewer?
The city recommends a 6% rate increase in its sewer rate in fiscal year 2026, bringing the total monthly cost to $9.84 per 1,000 gallons of water.
The same increase would apply in fiscal year 2027, raising the rate to $10.43 per 1,000 gallons
More: Fleur Drive bridge entrance into downtown Des Moines to close until summer 2025
The Fleur Drive bridge over the Raccoon River and connecting to Locust Street will close to traffic starting Nov. 11, 2024, until next summer as the city wraps up the last phase of years-long massive sewer and street project.
How much are stormwater rates?
Des Moines already has approved an increase in its rate for stormwater sewers to $19.29 in fiscal year 2026 from $18.20 previously.
The rate is based on the “equivalent resident unit,” a unit of measurement used to calculate the billing for the impervious square footage of all structures/surfaces on properties “including buildings, paved and rocked areas, decks and patios, and anything else that restricts the absorption of water into the soil,” according to the city.
A single-family dwelling generally counts as one equivalent resident unit. But the square footage can vary with the type of property, and an owner can appeal.
Three major stormwater projects in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan are the Hamilton Drain Area, Jackson Basin Wetland and Closes Creek Watershed.
Des Moines Public Works Director Jonathan Gano told council members Des Moines’ stormwater rates are noticeably higher than in the suburbs in part due to the city’s needs for flood control. He added that the suburbs are “also not trying to rehab a hundred-year-old system.”
How Des Moines residents can weigh in on the proposed budget
City officials will hold two information sessions on the budget:
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6 p.m. Feb. 25 at Polk County River Place, 2309 Euclid Ave.
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6 p.m. Feb. 26 at Pioneer Columbus Community Recreation Center, 2100 S.E. Fifth St.
The hearing on the budget is scheduled for the April 7 City Council meeting.
In the meantime, community members can provide suggestions and feedback on the proposed budget at DSM.city/Budget.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Trash, sewer rates could go up in Des Moines in starting July 1
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