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Okanogan County PUD commissioners approved a 2021 budget, including expenditures of $48.9 million, revenues of $56.8 million and capital outlay of $35.3 million.
Resolution 1733 also includes the approval of a 3.25 percent revenue increase, but how that will be applied across rate classes is yet to be determined. Staff are using the PUD’s recent cost of service study to determine an equitable distribution.
Rate structures will also be adjusted to account for state public utility and privilege taxes on customer bills. The district pays about $2.8 million per year to the state in taxes, but the bills currently do not designate that as a line item.
Residential customers will also see the two-tier structure of rates merged into one rate. The tiers are currently at about 4.5 cents for under 2,000 kWh monthly usage and 6.6 cents per kWh for usage above 2,000 kWh. The new single rate (yet to be determined) will simplify billing and will give relief to low-income or fixed-income customers in the higher usage category.
The PUD has been considering rate increases to go into effect April 1, 2021, to keep up with the increasing costs the district faces, including rebuilding aging and damaged infrastructure.
The approved budget also includes a 1.3 percent cost of living adjustment (non-union), according to the Consumer Price Index.
In other business, the board: