Douglas water panel details $164,000 budget shortfall, weighs rate hikes

Water · Meeting of August 11, 2026

Douglas Water Commission eyes a rate hike of up to 13 percent to close a $164,000 budget gap. Assistant Manager Bob Sullivan walked commissioners Kyle Hoose, Phil Stinchfield and Colin Hare through fiscal 2027 cuts totaling roughly $150,000, including $87,889 trimmed from biosolids hauling and $32,088.53 from one-time paving. The board is modeling scenarios from 10 percent, worth $136,568.78, up to 13 percent, worth $177,539, but is awaiting a state Department of Revenue ruling on whether any increase can apply to water already billed this cycle.

Sullivan called retroactive billing "not a good practice." Commissioners also declined to create a paid hydrant-access program for landscapers, citing $10,000 in equipment risk against a $100 fee, and are revisiting whether the Tri-Town building, an $8.5 million project, is exceeding its 7,500-gallon-a-day usage agreement. A follow-up meeting is set for August 19, ahead of the August 25 rate hearing.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,447 words

Source: the Water meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.