Framingham Proposing 5% Water and 9% Sewer Rate Increase

Water and sewer rates for Framingham are being proposed at 5 percent for water and 9 percent for sewer, or a combined 7 percent, said Framingham CFO Mary Ellen Kelly to Selectmen Tuesday night.

The rates are less than what residents could have seen. With out the town moving money from retained earnings from the water and sewer accounts, rates could be set at a 10 percent increase in water and 13 percent increase in sewer, explained Kelly.

Framingham Selectmen told the chief financial officer they would like to see the average family not to pay more than an additional $100 in water & sewer rates, after being "zapped" with heavy rate increases in recent years.

The CFO is recommending $730,000 from the sewer retained earnings fund and $988,000 from the water retained earnings fund  be transferred to offset the rates and to get to a increase of less than $100 for the average family.

If selectmen vote later in June or in July to set the rates at these recommendations, the average senior would see a yearly increase of $13.92 the average family would pay $99.48 more for water & sewer.