Sewer rates rise for 11th straight year

Sewer service rates for all of Fremont rose by 5.7% on July 1.  A single family home will now pay $337.76 on its annual property tax bill.

This is at least the 11th straight year of sewer rate increase as enacted by the Board of Directors of the Union Sanitary District, which serves Fremont, Newark and Union City.

All five current Board members received ZERO votes in their last elections as they ran unopposed and were not placed on the ballot.

Below are the historical rates and the percentage increase:

2003  $188.00  

2004  $197.40  5.0%

2005  $205.30  4.0%

2006  $215.57  5.0%

2007  $228.52  6.0%

2008  $243.36  6.5%

2009  $259.18  6.5%

2010  $276.04  6.5%

2011  $289.84  5.0%

2012  $304.33  5.0%

2013  $319.55  5.0%

2014  $337.76  5.7%

2015  $357.02  5.7%  (proposed)

2016  $377.37  5.7%  (proposed)

The Union Sanitary District has debt of $47.7 million and millions in unfunded retiree benefit and pension liabilities, which all ratepayers will eventually have to pay for.