Jefferson City residents will likely be asked to pass a bond issue in April 2022 to address existing wastewater issues.
The City Council approved a sewer rate increase in June to fund about $44 million in sewer-related projects, including the upgrade of meters, line replacements and improvements to the treatment plant.
The rate increased by 2 percent on the July bill and will increase by an additional 5 percent annually until 2027.
The next step in getting the funds for the work is to ask city residents to authorize bonding.
Public Works Director Matt Morasch said the rate increase allows the city to look into financing options for the projects, such as a bond issue, because it means there’s the funding to pay it back.
A motion to seek bond options passed the Public Works Committee on Thursday and will go before the full City Council on Nov. 15.
If bonding goes through, it won’t make any additional changes to the sewer bill rate beyond what was approved in June.