City Service Fees 2023 Rate Adjustment
City service fees are reviewed annually by staff and the City Council to ensure that they are operating as intended to generate adequate revenue to support municipal services that the community relies on. This year, the annual update will include some rate increases intended to offset increased costs related to inflation. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the 2023 rate adjustment.
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Q: What are these fees and what do they pay for?
A: City service fees are monthly charges that appear on the City of Corvallis City Services bill. Fees represent a small charge shared among all Corvallis billing customers to pay for specific services. Each fee is used to pay for a specific service, and funds collected for one service cannot be used to pay for other services. For example, the City does not use money collected through the Sidewalk Maintenance Fee to pay for Police Department expenses.
The current fees are:
- Water – Fee collected based on usage to pay for City water service and related infrastructure
- Wastewater – Fee collected to support the City’s wastewater (sewer) infrastructure and operation
- Stormwater – Fee collected to support the City’s stormwater system, including urban streams and pollution mitigation
- Street Maintenance (TMF) – Fee goes to support regular maintenance on the City’s most-used streets
- Sidewalk Maintenance – Fee used for sidewalk maintenance and repair
- Transit Operation Fee – Fee supports fareless service on Corvallis Transit System
- Urban Forestry – Fee supports maintenance of the City’s urban tree canopy
- Police Services – Fee maintains current service levels at the Police Department
- Fire Services – Fee maintains current service levels and enhances Fire Department coverage by adding personnel to staff a new ambulance unit
- Low-Income Assistance Fee – This fee goes into a fund for income-eligible customers who need assistance paying their monthly City Services bill
Q: What are the rate increases for 2023?
A: Taken together, the rate increase is expected to be about $20 per month for the typical residential customer. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each fee, showing the previous rate and the new rate that takes effect in 2023.
Q: Why are you adjusting the rates right now?
A: Many City service fees are adjusted regularly to keep up with inflation and rising costs of materials and labor. Other fees have not been adjusted in many years and are set far below the funding needed to continue delivering services to the Corvallis community. All of the fees represent services that the community supports and wants to maintain into the future. By moving all of these fees onto an annual, predictable rate adjustment schedule, we can set consistent expectations in the community about this important topic.
Q: Who pays the fees?
A: Anyone who receives a City Services bill from the City of Corvallis will see the fees on their monthly bill. In some rental properties where tenants don’t receive individual City Services bills, the landlord pays the City Services bill and each renter contributes to these fees through their monthly rent.
In addition, these fees are paid by large tax-exempt institutions in Corvallis that don't pay traditional property taxes. This ensures that these organizations are paying their fair share for the City services they rely on.
Q: How do these fees benefit me?
A: The fees pay for popular and necessary services for the Corvallis community. The cost of supporting these services is spread among all Corvallis rate-payers, which brings the price down for everyone. By making regular adjustments to keep up with inflation and other costs, these services will be more financially sustainable in the future.
Q: Where can I learn more about the 2023 rate adjustment decision-making process?
A: The City Council discussed the rate adjustment process at several public meetings in November and December 2022. Feel free to review the meeting materials to get a sense of the topics that were discussed:
