Dayton Increases Property Tax, Reduces Water Use

DAYTON - It's budget season, and Dayton residents are invited to the second of three budget hearings for the city of Dayton scheduled for Monday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m.

During the first hearing, on Nov. 10, city council members approved the 1 percent property tax increase allowed annually in support of the city's budget.

The third and final public hearing scheduled before the council votes to approve the 2015 budget will take place on Monday, Dec. 1.

Also on the agenda for this Monday's meeting is a public hearing on water-use efficiency measures.

The Department of Ecology requires cities to set water-saving goals every seven years; last cycle the city planned to reduce water usage for residential customers by 2 percent.

This time, the city has proposed a goal of 1 percent water use reduction for all customers - residential as well as business.

"The bottom line is that we don't want to waste this precious resource we have," said Mayor Craig George. The city draws its water from an underground aquifer, and in 20 years the water level hasn't varied more than a foot, he said.

City Public Works Superintendent Jim Costello confirmed that the city appears to have an abundance of water, but the population of Dayton hasn't increased much in recent years.

"Hopefully we can reduce every year, but in the future we might have new homes or businesses come in," George said. "We are very fortunate that our water source has always been good, but just because we have it doesn't mean we should take it for granted."

The city's efficiency measures could include a water conservation rate structure.

It will also likely include increased public education on water conservation including information posted on the city's website regarding water conservation and suggestions for reducing water usage.

City council will also consider a system for customer notification when abnormally high meter readings may indicate a leak on the consumer's end.

Water consumption history on customer water bills is another possible method for raising usage awareness.

Finally Costello and others with the city have put together new customer water system information packets available at city hall.