After months of delay, seven of St. Charles’ 10 City Council members have signed on as co-sponsors of an ordinance to increase city water and sewer fees beginning Sept. 1 to handle existing operating expenses.

That’s one more than the six positive votes needed for passage, so it’s likely the bill will be passed in the next few weeks.

The measure, to be introduced at the council meeting Tuesday night, would increase the combined bimonthly bill for a household using 10,000 gallons of water to $59.50 from the current $51.40.

That’s an increase of nearly 16 percent and would be the city’s first rate hike in three and a half years. A typical residential household uses 8,000 to 9,500 gallons every two months.

“Our operating expenses are increasing and our revenues are decreasing,” the city public works director, Debra Aylsworth, said at a council work session last week.

The York administration will propose another round of rate increases to the council in the fall – to cover the costs of paying off bonds to be sold to finance $76.7 million in capital improvements in the system. Those further increases would be phased in over five years and begin in January.

Finance Director Karen McDermott said the city is still calculating the specific amounts but that the total rate paid by the end of the five-year period could reach $80 to $85 bimonthly for those in the 10,000-gallons usage category.

Most of that work – $70 million - is for upgrades to the sewer system, including revamping of the Missouri River and Mississippi River wastewater treatment plants.

Aylsworth said “a good portion” of the work is needed because of federal requirements. Council members said the city needs to inform residents that the city has no choice but to do those improvements.

“We need to make sure residents know our hands are tied,” said Councilman Bob Kneemiller of the 4th Ward.

City officials approached the current council in the fall of 2007 about the need for a series of rate increases but no action has yet been taken.