Water and sewer rates are expected to sharply increase again next year. As required by provincial law, the city has given notice that it will make a decision on the new rates at a daytime meeting on Thursday, December 9. This special meeting of the council's Committee of the Whole will start at 9:30 am.

Citizens who are not working during the day can speak at the meeting beginning at 1 pm, but are being asked to pre-register by December 1 by contacting Mary Gallagher in the clerk's department at mgallagh@hamilton.ca or by phone at 905-546-2424 ext 4304.

Source: City of Hamilton

The proposed water and sewer rates for 2005 have not yet been announced, but last year's budget predicted that 9.5%-a-year jumps would continue every year until 2007. In the mid-1990s the annual increases were usually no more than 3%, but that began to change in the wake of reports that showed more than one-quarter of the pipes needed immediate replacement.

Since 1999, increases have averaged more than 10% per year and have gone as high as 15%. The increase last year was 9.5%. That put the average household rate at $478 per year.