By Allen Edmonds
After years of increasing angst over city water/sewer bills, Belton customers in Fiscal 2026 will see a slight decrease on the water/sewer portion of their bills despite anticipated continued hikes from suppliers.
A conservative budget approach has allowed the city to develop healthy fund balances in the both the water and wastewater accounts, City Manager Joe Warren told the City Council during a post-business work session Tuesday night. Those balances will allow the city to absorb anticipated 5 percent increases from both Kansas City on the water supply side, and the Little Blue Valley Sewer District on the sewer side and still offer slight reductions on bills for the 2026 budget year, which begins April 1.
While the recently approved 4.2 percent increase from GFL for trash hauling will nearly absorb the reduction, the council was glad to hear the news on water and sewer.
“We need to advertise this,” said Ward 1 Councilmember Alex McCallum. “Whether we get this out in the water bills or some other way, we need to let people know.”
Residential customers inside the city limits currently pay a total minimum of $61.39 monthly. That rate will decrease to $58.01 beginning in April. Commercial customers inside the city limits will see a total minimum rate reduce from a current rate of $62.75 to $56.62, an even greater rate of reduction. The difference between the two rates is because of the varying levels of debt service, Warren told the council.
While actual water and sewer rates will remain the same on both residential and commercial accounts once the categories are broken down, and trash service will increase from 18.79 a month to $21.27 a month on residential accounts (commercial accounts have no trash service included), the difference comes in debt service. On residential accounts, the debt service payment reduces drastically, from $11.66 a month to $5.80 per month. On commercial accounts, debt service falls from $30.13 a month to $24.00 a month.
In other business, the council:
• Approved final reading of a plan to redevelop 501 Pine Street under the Old Town Belton Redevelopment Plan;
• Approved a resolution authorizing the Belton Police Department to replace one of its HVAC units;
• Approved a resolution formally accepting $1.1 million in infrastructure improvements to service the Fifth Plat of Autumn Ridge subdivision.