Anna Newhoff
NCR Reporter
Residents flooded Hilliard Town Hall to speak about water and sewer rate increases at the Hilliard Town Council meeting Nov. 20.
However, Ordinance No. 2025-08 passed unanimously, raising the water rate by 12% and the sewer rate by 49% effective Jan. 1.
Base charges will be prorated based on the portion of the month during which the service is active. The water base charge will rise to $19.29 and the sewer base charge will be $32.08 for residential customers. For commercial property, the water base charge will raise to $45.01 and sewer to $74.31.
For residential customers, the proposed monthly rate per 1,000 gallons would range from $4.28 for water and $1.59 for sewer in the first tier (0-2,000 gallons) to $6.02 for water and $8.55 for sewer for usage over 10,000 gallons. Commercial customers using more than 6,000 gallons would pay $6.43 per 1,000 gallons for water and $8.55 for sewer.
A 5% public service tax will continue to apply to water service.
Florida Rural Water Association Emergency Response Circuit Rider Dyana Stewart explained that the hikes are necessary to prevent the town’s utility fund from running out of money.
“If you don’t raise rates, you will deplete your entire unrestricted reserve by the end of this fiscal year,” she said.
The fee increases are expected to stabilize the town’s finances over the next few years.
“What you can expect from these rate increases is that all of your expenses should be covered without the use of unrestricted reserves by the end of fiscal year 2028,” Stewart said. “However, that is dependent on when this is implemented. When this was first given, it was intended to be implemented by Oct. 1.”
Without raising the rates and going further into debt, the town would not be eligible for future loans and grants to maintain the town.
“I want to point out the issue about covering your debt,” Stewart said. “You cannot get future loans if you can’t pay your debt back. If you have existing debt, and you’re not able to make those payments, then they are gonna force you to raise your rates.”
Several Hilliard residents expressed frustration at how the increases will affect their budgets.
“You guys are gonna increase our water this much, this fast. (We are) never gonna be able to pay it. It’s ridiculous,” Heather Gates said.
Another resident asked questions about different ways to incorporate the increase without affecting residents harshly.
“We like Hilliard a lot,” Brittany Cooper said. “We were just wondering if it would be easier for it to be just a 25% or 26% increase … And you’re gonna increase it next year anyway.”
Others understood that no one wants these hikes in fees, but they are necessary to keep the town afloat.
“No one wants a 49% increase,” Greg Franklin said. “(Council members) don’t want it. Everyone of y’all is from Hilliard, you all live here, do business here.”
While approving the increases, the council also moved to soften the burden for some of the town’s most vulnerable residents. Council members voted to donate $10,000 to the Nassau County Council on Aging for the 2025-26 fiscal year. This fund will help Hilliard seniors pay their rising water and sewer bills.
During closing comments, a council member made comments on the raise in fees.
“So yes, we got here by not raising rates as much as we should because of things just like tonight,” Council President Kenny Sims said. “It doesn’t matter whether we raise it 3% or 5%, you’re going to have three to 10 people in here complaining no matter what the increase is.”