The Huntsville City Council voted 7-to-1 on Tuesday to double utility fees for the school district and religious organizations, from $2.5 to $5 per 3,300 square feet, improve drainage infrastructure.
Ward 2 Councilman Casey Cox was the lone vote against the proposal and Ward 1 Councilman Tore Fossum abstained due to not being in attendance.
Cox stressed the quality of life for Huntsville citizens would be negatively impacted if churches, which operate on a tight budget, had to pay double their current fees.
“This has been something that has been hard for us, or hard for me to do throughout the whole process, but this money is going towards making your infrastructure better,” said Ward 4 Councilman Jon Strong.
Dr. Kathlie S. Jeng-Bulloch, Huntsville’s city engineer, predicted city revenue would increase by over $33,000 each year based on two-year old data on school and religious property.
Jeng-Bulloch added the city had posted notice in local media, in accordance with the law, of Huntsville’s intent to raise the utility rates. No representatives of the school district or a religious organization were present to challenge the proposal.
Councilwoman Pat Graham noted that Huntsville currently charges its school district and religious organizations less in comparison to other cities.
Other notes from Tuesday’s meeting
The most jubilant moment of the meeting came earlier when Tammy Gann, the director of economic development for Huntsville, announced the success of the “Empty Bowls Fundraiser”— which raised over $8,000 for the Walker County Senior Center.
The Wynne Home Arts and Visitors Center hosted the fundraiser for the benefit of the Walker County Senior Center to participate in the Meals on Wheels program to feed elderly in need.
“This event has been a staple in our community for almost 20 years,” Gann said, “It’s heartwarming to see so many people come together to fight food insecurities in Walker County.”
The meeting opened with the newly appointed city manager, Scott Swigert, being sworn in.
Assistant City Manager Sam Masiel, who had been serving as the interim city manager, was thanked for his hard work through the transition period to find a new city manager.
“I am looking forward to being here to serve Huntsville and the citizens here,” Swigert said.
