Vermilion City Council debated sewer rates during its Feb. 23 meeting at the Vermilion Municipal Court Complex, raising questions about fairness between neighborhoods and whether the city had enough financial information to make long-term decisions.
The discussion centered on Ordinance 2026-5, which addresses the city’s wastewater (sewer) rates. Council did not finalize the measure that night and instead carried the issue forward to its next meeting.
At the March 2 meeting, council approved the ordinance, keeping the city’s sewer rate at $11.033 while standardizing the rate across the city.
East Liberty district became focal point of debate
Much of the discussion on Feb. 23 focused on the East Liberty Sewer District, which historically had been billed at a different rate than the rest of the city.
Ward 4 Councilman Herman Taft questioned why the district still had a separate charge, noting that the difference appeared tied to older infrastructure debt.
“Fair is fair,” Taft said, arguing there was no clear reason one part of the city should continue paying more than another if the original purpose of the district rate had already been satisfied.
Service Director Tony Valerius said city staff reviewed past ordinances but could not identify a clear explanation beyond references in older legislation. He said the district’s higher charge likely originated as a way to pay off construction-related debt and that percentage increases over time may have raised the rate beyond what was originally intended.
Authority questions also raised during discussion
During the meeting, council members also discussed how authority over sewer rate adjustments is described in the city’s codified ordinances.
Councilman Greg Drew said after the meeting that council approved the same ordinance but plans to review other related ordinances that address how sewer rates may be adjusted.
Those ordinances appear to give administrative authority over the sewer fund to city officials, including the service director.
According to Drew, the city’s Law Director determined that council still has the authority to set sewer rates and can delegate that authority through ordinance if it chooses.
Council members indicated they may review and clarify those ordinances in the future to avoid confusion about how rate changes are handled.
What the decision means
Under the ordinance approved March 2, council kept the base sewer rate at $11.033 and standardized the rate across the city, ending the separate East Liberty Sewer District rate.
Sewer charges are typically calculated per 100 cubic feet of water used, meaning the sewer portion of a bill still varies depending on how much water a household or business uses.
The uniform rate will remain in place unless council votes to revise sewer rates in the future.
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