Quitman residents will soon see increases on their monthly utility bills after the city council approved adjustments to water, sewer and trash collection rates Tuesday, Sept. 23. After seeking input from residents at a special workshop the evening before, the council voted unanimously to increase rates on water, sewer and trash collections after explaining that the changes are necessary to keep pace with rising costs, aging infrastructure and state requirements for public water systems.

Prior to the controversial vote on rate increases, an action item to change the hours at City Hall was presented by City Administrator, Allan Gilbert. Gilbert stated that changing City Hall’s hours would allow working citizens more time to interact with city staff. He proposed keeping the normal hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays but altering the hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with City Hall being open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Fridays, City Hall would open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 3 p.m.

The council raised minor concerns about end-of-month payments and Friday closings, but Gilbert assured them that he was committed to monitoring the situation and readjusting the hours if necessary. The action item was approved unanimously, and the new hours will begin Oct. 6.

In an effort to address potential concerns from citizens about the increases, aldermen went into great detail to summarize the workshop the night before, highlighting the increased costs associated with maintaining the utility services and the rise of water costs from the Sabine River Authority.

“The last thing we want is for people to turn on the faucet and have no water,” Mayor Randy Dunn said. “We’ve got to make sure we can maintain our system before we end up in an emergency where repairs cost even more.”

Further discussion ensued when citizen Katlyn Neighbors asked why the council waited so long to raise rates if rising costs had been an issue for years.

Mayor Pro Tem Brad Medlin explained that in 2013, the council raised rates significantly to accommodate construction and repairs at Lake Fork to maintain the system at that time. In the following years, previous council members were very hesitant to raise rates any further and chose to absorb the water rate hikes the city paid to the Sabine River Authority in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Other council members and the city administrator were quick to add that while Quitman’s water rates remain comparable to neighboring cities, the system faces higher costs this year for treatment chemicals, water purchased from the Sabine River Authority and ongoing repairs to aging lines.

At the conclusion of discussions, the council voted unanimously to increase the water rate by 12%, adding about $3.15 per month for the average household, or roughly $37 per year.

Sewer rates will also rise by 12% for city residents, adding about $2.70 per month. For customers outside the city limits on flat-rate sewer service, the monthly charge will increase from $45 to $75

Leaders said the increase reflects the high cost of treating excess water that seeps into the city’s old clay pipes and manholes, as well as the need to meet strict Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards. Failure to comply could bring fines of up to $25,000 per day.

Trash collection fees will rise by 4.8 percent, or about 65 cents per household per month, under a contract adjustment with the city’s waste provider.

Altogether, the typical Quitman household can expect their monthly bill to increase by about $6.50. The new rates were set to take effect Oct. 1.

In other business, the council approved continuing its annual $53,663 agreement with Wood County for fire protection services. The fire department, which covers much of the county, is staffed by volunteers but rates so highly, it provides Quitman with insurance ratings comparable to larger cities with large, full-time fire departments.

The council asked Fire Chief Colton Otto to start tracking the amount of fires the QVFD works in the county to see if an adjustment needs to be made on the annual agreement in upcoming years.

Council members also voted to add Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day to the city employee holiday schedule, bringing Quitman in line with state holidays and other nearby municipalities.