Mayor Scott Avedisian has rejected the Kent County Water Authority’s proposed rate hikes of 10.9 to 14.6 percent on water users and 30 percent on the city’s fire hydrants, intended, in part, to raise $6.6 million over three years for new water meters, suggesting a merge of the authority with another water utility.
Warwick Water Division rates will go up for the first time in four years on the September quarterly tax bills to fuel future infrastructure and service improvements, and take a $675,000 bite out of the utility’s $1.5 million deficit.