Hernando residents are staring down higher sewer bills after Mayor Chip Johnson stepped in to break a deadlock on the Board of Aldermen, approving a rate hike that will double some customers' fees. City officials say the move is aimed at plugging a big hole in the city's utility fund after a major shortfall surfaced in the books.
The board was split on the proposal until Johnson cast the deciding vote, narrowly approving a new rate schedule, according to Daily Memphian. That report notes that while certain sewer service fees are being doubled, other line items on monthly bills are being reworked under the adopted plan.
Why the increase?
City leaders are pitching the hike as an emergency fix for roughly $2.6 million missing from Hernando’s utility fund. Officials traced the gap to accounting errors and repeated contract cost increases that never made it into the budget, according to Action News 5. To steady things in the short term, the board has already raised garbage collection rates and signed off on a temporary transfer of interest revenue into the utility fund, as reported by DeSoto County News.
What residents will pay
The new structure hits some households hard. Daily Memphian reports that certain sewer service fees are doubling under the plan the board approved. The City of Hernando’s utility page explains that sewer charges are typically tied to water usage, often calculated as half the water rate or as a fixed minimum monthly fee, so residents are being urged to keep a close eye on upcoming statements and the rate tables posted on the city's website (City of Hernando).
What’s next
Johnson has publicly owned up to mistakes in how the budget was put together, saying the numbers that fed into it were “not right.” In an earlier meeting he conceded, “I messed up part of that budget,” as reported by Action News 5. In response, the board has directed its finance committee to go back through the figures and audit the situation. Meanwhile, DeSoto County News notes that some additional water and sewer adjustments have been floated but temporarily shelved until officials are confident the math checks out.
For now, residents can count on higher sewer bills and a rollout schedule that city leaders say will be shared both online and at upcoming board meetings. Officials plan to publish detailed rate tables and timelines on the city’s utility pages once the finance review is wrapped and the numbers are locked in.
