Girard residents to see 16% increase on their water bill starting next month

Residents in the City of Girard should expect to pay a little more for their water beginning next month.

Girard Mayor Mark Zuppo tells 21 News residents will see a 16% increase on their water bills beginning with next month's bill. Zuppo says this increase only applies to the water portion of the bill, which accounts for 60% of the cost.

The sewer rate, which accounts for the other 40% of the bill will not be impacted.

Zuppo explained this increase was due to low payments from the City of Niles on their water bills between 2020 and 2023. Zuppo says this mistake was originally on Niles for billing an amount lower than what was actually owed.

However, the issue was then brought to the City of Girard's attention in late 2022, but Zuppo says the city still did nothing about it. Zuppo added that he was not mayor at the time.

"I inherited this mess," Zuppo said.

Zuppo says to recoup for the lost funds, the city took out a loan between $650,000 and $700,000. The rate increase would be used as a source of revenue to pay that loan back.

However, even after the loan is paid off, the increase will remain in place. Zuppo says the city has not increased its water rates since 2017 and rates have since gone up.