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January 7, 2021
Mayor, council get New Year raises
BY TOM SCANLON
Peoria Times Managing Editor
NEWS..............3 Peoria murder: Victim and suspect both 19
NEWS..............4 New guidance urges classroom learning
OPINION...................7 BUSINESS.................8 SPORTS.....................9 FEATURES...............10 RELIGION................16 YOUTH....................19 CLASSIFIEDS...........20
Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat and the Peoria City Council members celebrated the New Year with a raise. Peoria’s elected officials gave themselves a 5% raise in 2021. By unanimous vote, council approved the raises Nov. 10—part of the “consent agenda” portion of the meeting, during which “routine items” are lumped together. As such, there was no discussion about the raises. The mayor’s salary increased from $34,550 to $36,278. City council salaries were bumped from $23,033 to $24,185. Peoria’s Citizens Commission on Sala-
Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat and Peoria City Council members began 2021 with 5% raises. (Peoria Times
file photo)
ries for Elected City Officials, which provides recommendations every two years, advised the council to approve the salary increases.
Commission members George Johnson, David Eberhart, Christina Huff, Reed Webber and Monika Masciangelo met SEE RAISES PAGE 3
Water, sewer, garbage rates increase BY TOM SCANLON
Peoria Times Managing Editor
Some complain that city bills are like Luke Air Force Base jets: They keep going up. Indeed, those flushing 2020 away and celebrating 2021 with a glass of city water will be paying slightly more this year. As a postcard mailed to residents noted, “For the average residential customer, your total utility bill will increase by approximately 2.7% or $2.26 per month. The breakdown of monthly rate increases
are as follows: $1.09 for water and sewer (based on 3/4-inch meter and 10,000-gallon water usage); $0.92 for garbage and recycle; $0.25 for stormwater.” While paying more is hardly a cause for celebration, Peoria residents would have been paying more for months—if not for Peoria City Council action. The rate increase was originally scheduled for July 1, 2020—but council voted to delay the rate increase due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on many. And, even with the increases that took effect the first day of 2021, Peoria res-
idents still are paying less than many of their neighbors. Most Peorians will pay a new base charge of $16.46 and $1.19 per thousand gallons for the first 4,000 gallons of water, then $3.16 per thousand gallons up to 10,000. And most residents are now paying a sewer/wastewater base charge of $9.93 plus $2.17 per thousand gallons of flushed water. Garbage and recycling costs for resiSEE UTILITIES PAGE 6
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