Your current bill reflects a passage of new rate that was discussed in September and October of 2021 at City Council meetings. These meetings were published and were discussed in length during those months. A rate adjustment was passed at the November 2021 meeting. This rate reflects the obligations that the City of Salem has to produce and deliver water. The last increase being over five years ago. Our utility is required to maintain appropriate credit/bond ratings to keep receiving grants and municipal loans, and rate adjustments secure those.

The Mayor asked the Board of Works and Public Safety to delay implementation for several months, and they complied. Further, another cost was figured into billing by a tax reduction by state legislature that occurred on July 1st. With these two happening at the same time, one adjustment made sense. The Board of Works and Public Safety continue to monitor costs to be proactive for the users.

City of Salem
Board of Works and Public Safety